Aldwarke Lane in Rotherham has been closed since 11 February 2019 after a lorry hit the railway bridge, dislodging stones from its arch.
The Rotherham Advertiser reported that the busy road will remain closed “until further notice” while repairs are carried out to replace the three coping stones that were knocked off.
However, the newspaper noted that trains have been running across the railway bridge at a reduced speed, which has caused some disruption to train services too.
A spokeswoman for Network Rail told the publication that repairs had been carried out but that they were “waiting for the concrete to set before the road can be reopened”. An inspection will also need to be carried out to make sure the bridge is safe before traffic is allowed on the road again.
While Network Rail are responsible for the condition and repair of railway bridges, there are thousands of other bridges in the UK that are maintained by local councils.
However, last month Motoring Research revealed that the estimated cost to clear the backlog of bridge repairs hit £6.7 billion in 2017-18; an increase of one-third compared to 2016-17.
The news provider also revealed that 4.4 per cent of the UK’s bridges are classed as being in substandard condition, which equates to 3,177 crossings. Despite the fact that councils have said that they want to get over 2,000 of these bridges back to full carrying capacity, just 343 are expected to be fixed in the next five years.
If you need assistance with structural repair on a bridge, contact us to find out how our expertise can help you.