Narrow miss for HGV
Lorry has to reverse along A5
A HIGH-sided lorry had a near miss at a notorious low-bridge across the A5 in Hinckley.
The driver was spotted reversing away from the bridge between Dodwells Road and Nutts Lane on Sunday (March 19) at around 5.55pm.
Motorists were forced to drive around the truck as it made its way back to Dodwells Roundabout in order to find another route.
A passenger in a car passing by took the photo and shared it to the Spotted Hinckley Facebook page saying: “At least this bloke realised before it was too late to hit the bridge, so obviously he’s reversing up the A5 so he didn’t hit the bridge.”
The poster went on to say the lorry was driving under a British number plate but she was unsure which company it was from.
She said: “I was too busy concentrating on getting past it with my partner driving.”
The railway bridge has become notorious for lorry strikes having been hit 13 times in the past 12 months.
It was listed as the thirds most struck bridge in the country.
Local business owners have complained about loss of earnings each time the A5 is brought to a standstill for lorries to be recovered and the bridge assessed for damage in the event of a smash.
Network rail, who own the bridge, say it cannot be raised without raising the track for miles in either direction.
It is believed lowering the road would also cause problems with the foundations of the bridge.
Network Rail recorded 150 bridge strikes in Leicestershire alone over the last five years.
These caused rail passengers more than 12,000 minutes of delays and cost more than £800,000 in compensation.
Nationally, the rail firm recorded 1,606 strikes in the 2015/16 financial year.
The Local Government Association (LGA) called on the Government to introduce new laws which would force lorry drivers to use satnavs suitable for HGVs instead of systems designed for cars.
LGA transport spokesman, Martin Tett, said: “It is common sense that all lorry drivers should use satnavs designed for trucks, but this is only going to become a reality when it is a mandatory requirement. We are talking about a very small extra cost to drivers.”