Looking back at Balmoral Road railway bridge being replaced

The Watford Observer has again teamed up with its friends at Watford Museum to look back at structures, objects or businesses from the town’s past that have either disappeared or been relocated and this week we look back at the Balmoral Road bridge being replaced.

A train travels over the bridge as the work continues underneath (Image: Watford Museum)

• Recalling some recent additions to Watford town centre 50 years ago
• The bus route that no longer exists after underpass built
• How Watford looked from a helicopter in the late eighties

The museum’s volunteer archivist Christine Orchard said: “When the 'Abbey Flyer' branch line from Watford Junction to St Albans was first built there was very little traffic going along Balmoral Road and in fact everything beyond the rail line was green fields. Therefore, just a single-track road bridge was more than sufficient.

A new metal structure replaced the old brick bridge (Image: Watford Museum)

“By the 1940s, these fields had begun to fill with houses and more vehicles were on the roads too.

A modern-day view of the bridge (Image: Google Street View)

“This photo dates from around 1959/60 when the old brick bridge was replaced which would allow two-way traffic. Trains still had to run even while the work went on.”

Visit the Museum Facebook page or website www.watfordmuseum.org.uk to see more historic photos.