As an ex train driver this really saddens me. They need to reinstate railways across the country and reduce traffic. Where the trackbeds have been built on the could use a tram train to go out on the road route. Been that way so many times travelling between Bournemouth & Hinckley. Stopped using that route after hitting a badger one night, does a lot of damage. Hard skulled badger just walked off 🦡🚙 My latest car, a Mini, wouldn't stand a chance.

Trains are (or were) a wonderful way to meet other people in a shared compartment. Cars are a wonderful way to sit on one's own and not care about anyone else.

+Take a moment and think of the workers and the pride that went into this bridge. I think it rather an insult to them that you did not have a ceremony indicating the appreciation of what they did. Best of luck, but we did expect a bit more from you!

They could have kept the other arches and put a pedestrians bridge where the old one was.

The problem is vehicles have become much larger these days. Tallest HGVs can be 16 ft 2 which causes problems with route planning, so as an HGV driver and Railway enthusiast i can see both sides of argument. I don't like to see destruction of bridges etc, but if the line will never reopen and the bridge is needing major repairs then maybe only solution.

Pity they torn down the whole bridge. Maybe they could have demolished the middle section only. Or maybe they brought down the whole thing in case they decide to expand the highway in the future. Anyway, it was a beautiful piece of architecture.

History is disappearing......

You can see the lorry drivers weaving to the right just as they were passing under the bridge

If they had re-instated the railway, they could have removed the ruble by train. But if they re-instated the railway, there would be a need for the bridge...

It's sad, and the fact that this bridge survived many years of service, makes it's destruction even worse, because modern brides built today, start giving trouble after just a few years.

How sad to see a part of history go. The amount of men and hours to construct that bridge would possibly equate to the cost of a new bridge now . It would be interesting to have seen the construction in the time

My friend Brittany tried to save it but structure was unsafe and unstable

Just makes any reopening more expensive....

Makes me sad! When I was in France (region Caen) for holiday I stumbled upon a story about a rail viaduct. French demolition troops once tried to blow up this "Viaduct de Rapilly" pillars, top tracks (steel) already had been removed), they did not succeed because the inner structure was made of solid granite blocks. I visited the site back in 2014 and found traces of the demolition effort. French army only succeeded in blowing of some of the outer clean masonry works. There used to be a very nice video about some urbex guys that made incredible footage of the location and the tunnel that leads to the viaduct pillars. Has been removed from Vimeo.. too bad.. So in short.. everytime something like this is being demolished : a viaduct, overhead, bunker, ship, ...anything historical..... I hope the contractor goes broke or the local authority gets a gigantic bill for "unforseen costs and hours". So they will think again the next time!!

I must have driven under that bridge hundreds of times! 😢 Lovely old bridge, if I'd known they were going to demolish it I'd have gone to watch.

Sad but.... An old bridge in London, London Bridge, or Tower Bridge, was bought by a US guy an moved there. Compared to that moving this bridge somewhere would be a piece of cake, wouldn't it? An old 3 valve bridge, over a stream, was taken apart a bit but was found healthy and was put back together again, in Sweden, Munkedal. It's in ful use.

so sad to see a bridge that has stood the test of time has to be demolished 😥had the railway line not been closed it wouldn't have happened maybe another of beechings cuts we need railway lines not distory them 😠wouldn't it been better to have lowered the road 🤔

Absolute shame ,history being wiped away so sad ......

Such a shame but perfectly understandable.

Shame, another piece of heritage gone.

I've been through there many times, sad its gone but life goes forward.

Not a very good design to start with, notice the tie rods and plates installed to stop the spandrel walls from splaying outwards. Ditto the bridge over the Long Itchington Road and river Leam viaduct.

Very sad, but roads are our lifeline.

Could have been saved & track bed use as a cycle route...

Typical - anything related to railways has to go. It wasn't a low bridge - 15' 3'' - so it wouldn't have caused any problems. As it was a masonry bridge, all that would have been required would have been re-pointing. As usual, the powers that be cant be arsed to save such beautiful architecture, and are continuing their campaign to eradicate as many railway artifacts as possible. They cant seem to find money to improve the railways, but when it comes to destroying them, money is no object. All it is is Legalised Vandalism.

Disgraceful. Nothing short of architectural and cultural vandalism. We are now out doing Henry VIII in that regard.🥵

Somebody made money out of this....😬

Wanton destruction...........

Sacrilege.

Criminal.