Protective measures at Denham Bridge prevented major damage

News Desk
Authored by News Desk
Posted: Tuesday, September 24, 2024 - 16:32

Measures introduced to protect a 17th century bridge near Bere Alston have helped save it from extensive damage, says Devon County Council.

Denham Bridge will be closed from 9:30am to 3:30pm on Thursday (26 September) while large concrete blocks protecting the Grade II listed structure are craned back into position after being struck by a large vehicle earlier this month.

The 1.8 tonne blocks on the approach to the bridge absorbed the impact of the vehicle which got stuck on the west side of the bridge after it ignored the signs for the Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) length and width restrictions. The vehicle had to be recovered, and although the blocks were moved out of position, the bridge itself remained intact.

The concrete blocks were installed in February to guide vehicles to take a wider approach across the bridge. This was in response to the first of two incidents this year when the bridge was damaged by vehicles. On both occasions large sections of the parapet had to be rebuilt, closing the bridge for weeks.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “The blocks did their job and bore the brunt in this latest incident. Although they were forced out of line and a daytime closure is needed so they can be hoisted back into place, they’ve prevented a potential lengthy and costly repair of the bridge which would have caused far more disruption to the travelling public.”

Councillor Philip Sanders, County Councillor for Yelverton Rural, said: “It's very unfortunate that a further one day closure has to be implemented in order to replace the temporary protective barrier and I fully appreciate how much inconvenience this will cause in particular for the residents of the Bere Peninsula.

"Behind the scenes a lot of design work and discussions are taking place in order to bring forward a more permanent solution to this issue which will both protect the bridge and not materially damage the historic feature from an aesthetic point of view.

"The temporary blocks have clearly demonstrated that even when a driver ignores the plethora of warning signs and becomes jammed on the bridge approach that the main structure of the bridge remains intact.

"It is so sad that we are not able to rely upon the common sense of some road users who simply refuse to obey the plentiful warning signs together with the signs which are actually a traffic order enforceable in law."

An 8-metre max length restriction was introduced on the bridge in May to add to the existing width limit of 6’ 6” (2 metres) already in place.

Additional signs have also been located on roads heading to the bridge to advise drivers in advance of the restrictions.

Further measures, such as a physical narrowing on a section of the road leading to the bridge, are also being considered.

While the road is closed on Thursday (26 September) a signed diversion will be in place.

 

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