Major repairs to Mill House Bridge in Adlington near completion

Cheshire East Council has made significant progress on the emergency repair works to Mill House Bridge in Adlington, following extensive damage caused by a flash flood.

The bridge supports the southbound traffic lane of the A523, and part of the arch structure had collapsed. Following a detailed inspection, comprehensive repair works started on 17 June 2025 and are now nearing completion.

Much of the work that highways crews have been working on has been below the bridge and out of sight of the public, but a huge amount of progress has been made.

This includes the damming and diversion of the river, joining the new part of the bridge to the existing structure, reinforcing the surrounding north-south retaining wall, underpinning and increasing the size of the bridge’s foundation and stabilising the ground.

The final phase of the bridge restoration is now underway, which focuses on putting back the arch support, and should be completed by Friday 7 November.

Councillor Mark Goldsmith, chair of Cheshire East Council’s highways and transport committee, said:

“This has not been a straight-forward repair, and a huge amount of planning, skill and effort has gone into it so far. Most of this work has been out of the public’s sight, so it is great to be able to show them all the work that goes on to keep their roads open.  

“The timelapse video of the project showcases the extensive groundwork and engineering efforts – highlighting the scale and complexity of the planning and repairs carried out.

"We recognise the importance of the bridge and A523 within Cheshire East’s road network and I’d like to thank residents and motorists for their patience. We have committed full resources to ensure this road fully reopens as quickly as possible.”

Once bridge repairs are complete, the council’s highways team will temporarily leave the site to allow Cadent Gas to carry out essential maintenance works. While Cadent’s works are not part of this repair, the council is working to ensure a smooth transition between phases.

Crews will then return to carry out a series of highway improvements, including updating, replacing and cleaning the existing signage along London Road, road surface patching works and putting back road linings, as well as clearing footpaths and overhead vegetation to improve visibility and safety.

Two-way temporary traffic signals will remain in place until all works are completed. 

View a timelapse of the works to date here...