Bridges

A bridge is a structure carrying the highway over a river, canal, railway, motorway, etc, or carrying a railway, motorway, etc over the highway.

We as the Highway Authority are also the 'Bridge Authority' for the bridges we own. We own and are responsible for around 205 highway bridges. There are also other bridge owners/authorities and the largest of these are the Highway Agency (trunk roads and motorway), Network Rail (railways), British Rail Property Board (disused railways), Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee and Sustrans. As a rule the bridge usually belongs to the organisation (or its successor) that had cause to need the bridge in the first place. Ownership of bridges has been transferred in some cases, such as when the responsibility for a route changes.

We have adopted the Bridge Condition Indicator (BCI) inspection and reporting system developed by the County Surveyors Society. Our bridges are inspected approximately every two years and a programme of maintenance work is drawn up. Incidents of damage through vehicle collision, storm damage, or other causes are investigated as soon as possible. In the case of damage to bridges by vehicles, reporting of the vehicle details may mean it is possible for us to claim the cost of the repairs to the bridge or culvert.

We also act as the Technical Approval Authority for all proposals by private developers for the construction of new bridges, retaining walls and/or other highway structures or proposals that may affect existing bridges, retaining walls and/or other highway structures.

Bridge strengthening

The maximum permitted weight of lorries was increased in February 2001 to 44 tonnes. All bridges have had to be assessed to see if they could cope with this increase safely.

The assessment programme for bridges owned by us have been completed. However, it must be noted that assessment is a continuing necessity as changes occur in the condition and purpose of certain bridges during their service life. Pending strengthening, public safety is maintained on those bridges assessed as weak by using temporary weight restrictions or other measures and restrictions.

Work carried out under the strengthening programme gives priority to principal road bridges. For substandard bridges on the non-principal road network, decisions are made whether to permanently weight restrict rather than strengthen. Each bridge is considered on its merits taking into account safety, economic and environmental factors. For further information please use the contact us.