River Lea Viaduct work completed 12 weeks early saving £1m

Urgent work to refurbish two major viaducts has been completed three months early leading to a £1m saving, a council said.

Work on the River Lea and New River viaducts, which carry the A414 Stanstead Abbotts Bypass between Hertfordshire and Harlow in Essex, started on 15 September 2025 and was finished 12 weeks ahead of schedule on 19 October.

Hertfordshire County Council said 18 weeks of work, which was due to cost £2.3m, was planned to repairs the joints, which were in poor condition, were letting in water and posed a “significant safety risk to road users”.

Instead six weeks of work, undertaken 24 hours a day, was carried out.