Weight action welcomed on port bridge

North Yorkshire County Council announced on Wednesday that a 7.5 tonne loading restriction is to be enforced to avoid a repeat of last summer’s chaotic scenes when the 102-year-old crossing broke down.

Yesterday North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and planning, Gareth Dadd, said: “We have been extremely pleased with the response to this weight limit. It seems that the public is more than willing to accept the weight restriction in order to preserve this historic bridge in working order for future generations.”

County Coun Joe Plant added: “I am confident that the new lowered weight limit will protect this historic structure and help prolong its life for many years to come. It is unfortunate that there has been disruption to some buses coaches and heavy goods vehicles, however the integrity of this Whitby landmark is paramount”.

The county council’s area highways team has already omitted the swing bridge from scheduled winter gritting given the vehicle loading.