Whitby bus crash: Road closed 'indefinitely' after bus crashes down 30ft embankment into River Esk

Following a single-decker bus crash off a Grosmont bridge down a 30ft embankment into the River Esk last Saturday (Aug 3), a temporary prohibition of traffic order is set to be in place up until February 2026.

Currently, all vehicles are prevented from using Front Street, Grosmont, until August 24 (subject to access to premises) because of damage to the bridge, and the council has said it does not know when the road can reopen.

Residents have said the restrictions will cause “serious difficulties” for people living in the area and have called on authorities to speed up the repair process.

Alison Hume, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby, said: “First of all, I hope the driver and passenger are recovering from their injuries after what must have been a frightening experience for both of them. I know from having spoken to local residents how frustrating and disruptive it is to no longer have access either by foot or vehicle over Grosmont Bridge.”

She noted that while it was right for the council to close the bridge while assessing the damage, she said that “taxpayers should expect this work to be prioritised given the impact its closure is having”.

She added: “I am concerned by the timescales suggested by the council and will do all I can to urge the highways department to carry out this work as soon as possible. I’ll be discussing this in more detail with North Yorkshire Council and the bus company Arriva in the coming days.”

Concerned locals have said that the “village is still open but now in a very serious position through no fault of its own.”

Another local said: “Residents are extremely upset that repairs cannot take place sooner and what will happen to Grosmont as a consequence.”

When the bus crashed, one passenger was on board and went to hospital and the driver suffered minor injuries and was examined by ambulance staff at the scene.

North Yorkshire Council’s highways area manager, Richard Marr, said: “We were shocked to hear of the bus crash at Grosmont and we are pleased to hear that those on board avoided serious injury.”

Mr Marr said he appreciated the inconvenience that the closure of the road was having but urged the public to be patient as the extent of repairs required was assessed.

He added: “Our highways team attended the scene soon after the crash and they have carried out initial inspections. Now the coach has been removed from the shallow river, we can determine the damage to the parapet stonework. At this time, we can’t provide timescales of when the road can reopen but we will update the public in due course.”