Repairs to 19th Century bridge likely to cost £40k

Temporary repairs to a 19th Century bridge in the Yorkshire Dales which was left damaged after being struck by a lorry are expected to cost £40,000.

The Grade II listed Middleham Bridge, which crosses the River Ure near Leyburn, has been closed since the crash on 3 September.

A specialist contractor had been appointed directly to carry out urgent repairs, with the cost expected to be recovered through an insurance recharge, North Yorkshire Council said.

In the long term, the authority was considering increasing the height of the arch by approximately 10ins (250mm), although any alteration would require listed building consent, officers added.

In a briefing note to councillors, the authority's bridge manager Philip Richardson said raising the structure would "mean most vehicles would be able to pass safely through".

Richardson said contractor Wilf Noble Construction Ltd had been appointed without a tender process as it was the "quickest" solution.

The company had carried out repairs after similar damage in 2008, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"They have extensive experience with supporting and working on this arch," Richardson said.

The impact on 3 September dislodged stonework on the southern decorative arch of the bridge.

An attempt to carry out repairs the following day was abandoned after the arch was judged to be too unstable.

The repair work was likely to involve supporting the arch before locally replacing damaged stone, a council report said.

A more substantial repair, involving taking down and replacing stone above the arch, would be better, but would take "significantly longer" to complete, it added.

The council was also looking at introducing a Traffic Regulation Order banning vehicles over 13ft (4m) from passing beneath the arch.

Officers said the existing height warning signs were not enforceable and were believed to be "regularly ignored".

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.