Huge crane removes fallen tree from Ottery's Coleridge Bridge

It was the first stage of the project to repair the bridge, which has been closed since the large poplar tree came down on December 7.

The damage is so serious that the bridge needs to be completely removed and placed on the ground for the repairs to be done. The first stage was to clear the fallen tree, along with two others nearby that were found to be in poor condition. Great care had to be taken not to further damage the structure of the bridge during the removal of the tree lying across it.

The work was carried out at the end of last week by West Hill based Hartwood Treeworks, using an 18-metre crane from Carter Plant Hire, a 37-metre cherry picker and a 28-metre grapplesaw. The largest single piece of tree that was removed weighed more than 6.5 tonnes.

Simon Hart from Hartwood said: "This was a complicated job that required lots of thought and planning. With the support of Devon County Council Bridges and Structures and the local people of Ottery, all went exactly to plan."

Coleridge Bridge is expected to be out of use for the whole of this year during the work to repair and reinstall it. The closure of the bridge is forcing pedestrians, including students at The King's School, to walk along busy roads instead. Devon County Council has said the work will be completed as soon as possible, but it's a complex project.

This week a Devon County Council spokesperson said: “We have worked with a number of landowners to access the site in order to carry out initial clearance work.

“Contractor Hartwood Treeworks removed the tree that had fallen on the bridge, as well as two remaining large Poplar trees (one either side) as they were diseased and unsafe.

“Our teams will be conducting a full assessment on the condition of the bridge over the coming weeks.”