The Mill Road bridge over the Weldale, a bottleneck that Thornley drivers have grumbled about for a decade, will close completely for six weeks while its worn deck is stripped out and replaced. Contractors are due on site at the end of the month.
The crossing has carried a three-tonne weight limit since a survey found rust eating into the steelwork beneath the tarmac. Buses and delivery lorries have been detouring through Netherford ever since, adding the best part of twenty minutes to some rounds.
What the diversion means
During the closure, all through traffic will follow a signed route via Coldbeck Lane and the A-road roundabout. Pedestrians and cyclists will keep a temporary walkway on the eastern side.
- Closure runs for approximately six weeks, weather permitting
- Emergency vehicles will retain access at all times
- The number 4 bus will start and terminate at the market square
- Foundry Lane residents keep access from the town side only
Highways officers say the work is the first stage of a longer plan to bring the bridge back to a full weight limit. Whether the budget stretches to the second stage remains, as ever, the open question.
Related: More town news · Weldale river clean-up
Further reading: About bridges
