The Kingsmead Viaduct (or ''Kings Meads Viaduct'' is a raised dual-carriageway

viaduct A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide ...

of the A10 road on the eastern outskirts of

Ware WARE (1250 AM) is a commercial radio station broadcasting a classic hits format. Licensed to Ware, Massachusetts, United States, the station serves the Springfield radio market. The station is currently owned by Success Signal Broadcasting ...

, Hertfordshire, England. It carries the A10 over the

River Lea The River Lea ( ) is in the East of England and Greater London. It originates in Bedfordshire, in the Chiltern Hills, and flows southeast through Hertfordshire, along the Essex border and into Greater London, to meet the River Thames at Bow Cr ...

, the New River and the Hertford East branch line. The road was originally constructed as a trunk route by the

Highways Agency National Highways (NH), formerly Highways England and before that the Highways Agency, is a government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving motorways and major A roads in England. It also sets highways standards u ...

as the second part of a two-phase improvement of the A10 between Ware and

Cheshunt Cheshunt (/ˈtʃɛzənt/ CHEZ-ənt) is a town in the Borough of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, England, situated within the London commuter belt approximately north of Central London. The town lies on the River Lea and Lee Navigation, bordering th ...

. On 29 September 2006 the road was de-trunked, and the viaduct is now the responsibility of

Hertfordshire County Council Hertfordshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Hertfordshire, in England. The council was created in 1889. It is responsible for a wide range of public services in the county, including social c ...

Major works

The expansion joints were replaced by the Highways Agency in July 2005. Improvements to the bridge parapets to bring them up to modern standards were carried out by Hertfordshire Council from July to September 2008.

Location

The bridge spans the

Lea Valley The Lea Valley (also spelt Lee Valley), the valley of the River Lea, has been used as a transport corridor, a source of sand and gravel, an industrial area, a water supply for London, and a recreational area. The London 2012 Summer Olympics wer ...

, crossing the

, the New River and the A119 road between the Rush Green Interchange near

Hertford Hertford ( ) is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. The parish had a population of 26,783 at the 2011 census. The town grew around a Ford (crossing), ford on ...

and the Westmill interchange (north-west of

). Also running along the valley floor is the Hertford East Branch Line, which the viaduct crosses between

and the

Hertford East Hertford East railway station is the northern terminus of the Hertford East branch line off the West Anglia Main Line in the east of England, and is located in the town of Hertford in Hertfordshire. It is down the line from London Liverpool ...

terminus. The viaduct crosses the King's Meads Nature Reserve.

References

{{reflist Bridges in Hertfordshire Transport in Hertfordshire Bridges completed in 1976 Box girder bridges in the United Kingdom Viaducts in England 1976 establishments in England