In recent months the Abbey Bridge near Barnard Castle has been hit accidentally by a small number of vehicles. The road which goes over the bridge is part of an advertised diversion route whenever the A1(M) or A66 is closed locally for works.
Durham County Council which manages and maintains the bridge is now trialling the use of CCTV cameras at the bridge. The cameras are being provided by Highways England and will be in place whenever the bridge is being used as a diversion route to monitor traffic and ensure a prompt response to any future incidents.
John Reed, Durham County Council’s head of technical services, said: “We must stress that there has been only a handful of minor collisions and that these have all been accidental.
“We can confirm that the damage to the bridge has been superficial and that Abbey Bridge remains safe to use. The bridge is regularly inspected and any repairs required are undertaken as appropriate.”
Two cameras will be in operation – one at each end of the bridge and signage will be in place to advise motorists of their presence.
Highways England will monitor footage from the cameras with a view to capturing footage of any collisions which are subsequently not reported. This gives the potential for the cost of any repairs to be recovered from the motorist.