3,000 Bridges In Britain Unable To Support Heaviest Lorries: Survey

Thousands of bridges in Britain are incapable of supporting heaviest lorries. RAC Foundation revealed in a new report lack of adequate long-term funding settlement is the primary reason for the conditions.

Surveyed in partnership with Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport, the RAC Foundation found 3,203 bridges not fit to support the heaviest lorries of up to 44 tonnes.

Many of the bridges have weigh restrictions while others are under increased monitoring programmes. In past two years the number of such bridges has increased by 35 percent.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said, “In the face of growing traffic volumes and ageing infrastructure the danger is that without an adequate long-term funding settlement we will see more rather than fewer bridges with weight restrictions, with the backlog bill getting bigger all the time.”

Below is the list of highest number of substandard bridges:

1. Devon – 249 bridges
2. Somerset – 210 bridges
3. Essex – 160 bridges
4. Northumberland – 148 bridges
5. Cornwall – 127 bridges
6. Suffolk – 121 bridges
7. Lancashire – 93 bridges
8. Cumbria – 71 bridges
9. Gloucestershire – 69 bridges
10. Cambridgeshire – 64 bridges

Authorities blame lack of funding is the reasons for poor maintenance of the bridges. As of now the cost of clearing backlog is about 3.9 billion pound for all the bridges in Britain.