WORK has begun on securing a ‘dangerous rock face’ underneath one of the country’s oldest ‘fly-over’ road bridges.

Built nearly 200 years ago between 1825 and 1828, Goodrich’s Dry Arch Bridge is thought to be “one of the earliest examples of a bridge specifically built to carry a minor road across a more major one,” and has been declared a scheduled monument by Historic England.

One lane of the B4299 road under the bridge is currently closed after a rock fall last year, and temporary traffic lights are in operation.

Workers have now begun installing sand bags and mesh in the rock face before adding spray concrete.

Vegetation matting is also being installed at the base of the face to enable regrowth over the area.

The Dry Arch was constructed when Kerne Bridge was being built, when the road underneath the cutting was made to connect with Huntsham Ferry and Whitchurch.

Historic England’s citing of the bridge says: “It remains in active use and presumably set the scene for all major road traffic intersections which were to follow and as such represents an early example of congestion alleviation on the road network which is so pivotal to modern road travel.”

A flight of 33 steps connects the upper road with the lower road for use by pedestrians.