St James Road (Spurgeons) Bridge strengthening scheme

We have submitted an application to the DfT Structures Fund to secure funding for the strengthening of St James Road Bridge (A222).

In accordance with the DfT's public transparency requirements, this page provides a summary of the proposed scheme and excludes commercially sensitive information.

About the bridge

St James Road Bridge carries the A222 St James Road over the Network Rail railway between West Croydon and Norwood Junction. The bridge forms one of the five principal highway routes into Croydon Town Centre and is a key transport corridor connecting residents, businesses and visitors with the town centre and surrounding areas.
The bridge currently carries:

  • over 27,000 vehicle movements every day 
  • over 1,100 TfL bus journeys each day 
  • over 650 Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) movements each day 
  • TfL bus routes 50, 75, 157, 450, 468, N68 and the SL6 Superloop 
  • access to Croydon Town Centre, West Croydon Station, IKEA Croydon, employment areas and healthcare facilities 
  • more than nine schools within a one-mile radius of the bridge

Why the scheme is needed

The eastern reinforced concrete bridge is currently subject to an 18-tonne weight restriction following structural assessments which identified that it no longer meets modern highway loading standards.
Recent inspections also identified deterioration of the bridge deck, including reinforced concrete spalling and exposed reinforcement caused by corrosion. If left untreated, the bridge may require further restrictions in future, affecting buses, freight traffic and the wider highway network.

What is proposed

The preferred solution is to replace the existing reinforced concrete bridge deck while retaining the existing bridge abutments, which remain in good structural condition.

The project will:

  • restore the bridge to modern highway loading standards
  • extend the operational life of the structure
  • improve reliability for public transport and freight
  • reduce future maintenance requirements
  • minimise construction disruption through the use of precast bridge deck elements
  • reduce embodied carbon by retaining the existing bridge abutments

Benefits of the scheme

The project will:

  • restore full loading capacity on a route currently restricted to 18 tonnes
  • maintain a key transport corridor used by over 27,000 vehicles every day
  • support more than 1,100 daily bus journeys, helping maintain reliable public transport connections across Croydon and South London
  • maintain access for HGVs, avoiding diversion routes of almost 5 km, reducing congestion, journey times and carbon emissions.
  • improve access to Croydon Town Centre, employment, education, healthcare and retail destinations
  • support businesses by maintaining efficient movement of goods and services
  • improve resilience of both the highway and railway networks by renewing a critical bridge over an operational Network Rail corridor
  • contribute towards Croydon Council's and the UK's wider carbon reduction objectives by reducing unnecessary vehicle diversions and extending the life of an existing asset

Project delivery

Subject to necessary approvals, the scheme will be delivered by Network Rail's Southern Enhancement Team using specialist railway framework contractors. We will oversee the project throughout design and construction, ensuring that technical, programme and financial requirements are met.

Funding

We have applied to the Department for Transport's Structures Fund to help deliver the scheme. We will also provide a local contribution alongside the requested Government funding.