A 19th century bridge connecting Middleham and Leyburn will reopen ahead of schedule after work was carried out following a collision involving a heavy goods vehicle.
Our bridges team has dismantled and removed a damaged arch on Middleham Bridge, which crosses the River Ure.
The works to the Grade II listed bridge, which had been closed since 3 September, are estimated to cost £40,000. It will reopen to traffic later today (Friday 2 October).
Council leader, Cllr Carl Les, said: “We are pleased to have moved quickly in appointing a contractor to carry out the necessary works to Middleham Bridge.
“Everybody involved in the project has worked incredibly hard to make the structure safe to restore access for road users as quickly as possible.
“We appreciate how important this route is in the area, so I would like to thank residents, businesses, schools and visitors for their patience.
“We are now looking at a long-term solution to reduce the risk of future vehicle strikes while keeping its historic character.”
While the bridge has been made safe to reopen, specialist engineers have assessed the damage and concluded that further works will need to be carried out to help to prevent future collisions and a long-term plan has therefore been proposed.
This involves applying for Listed Building Consent to increase the height of the arches by about 10 inches. It is hoped that these works would be carried out next summer.
Should consent not be granted, the damaged arch would be rebuilt in its current position and form.