Icy weather delays £250,000 upgrade of Whitby’s historic swing bridge

North Yorkshire County Council has confirmed the £250,000 programme of work on the crossing in the heart of the historic port has been hit by the freezing temperatures, high winds and heavy rain of recent weeks.

It is hoped that the improvements to prevent the mechanical problems that the 103-year-old bridge has endured in recent years will now be finished in March.

In the worst instance, traders were left reeling after losing thousands of pounds when the bridge was stuck open for nine days in the summer of 2010, with the eastern side of the town isolated from crowds of visitors on the western half.

Coun Joe Plant, who represents the Whitby Streonshalh division on the county council, said: “Already the bridge is looking very smart after repainting of the external beams, but there is no doubt that the wintry weather and prolonged rain has severely hampered the upgrade. We need to do the job properly as this is such an important landmark for the town and we cannot rush to complete the job when the weather is against us.”

The work includes replacing timber fenders, installing new navigation lights and waterproofing electrical cabling as well as repainting the bridge.