Repairs to bridge put on hold for wedding

URGENT REPAIR work that will see a crumbling historic bridge in the Yorkshire Dales close for three months will see the final two weeks of work put on hold to allow a local wedding to go ahead.

North Yorkshire County Council is to start essential maintenance next month on grade II listed Downholme Bridge at the junction of the A6108 and the C125 road to Marske.

Parts of the bridge have deteriorated during the winter and now need to be repaired, forcing long diversions over remote moorland to be put in place.

Work is expected to take 14 weeks and will include periods of closure to all motor vehicles from June 12 to July 2, July 17 to August 6 and August 28 to September 10.

However, the authority agreed to review its repair programme and reschedule the final fortnight of work to allow a wedding, attended by 160 guests, to continue without being affected by the closure.

Coun John Blackie, a member for the Upper Dales division on the county council, said: “The bride-to-be lives in Marske and the church is on the other side of the bridge in Downholme. Sending these guests, many of whom are unfamiliar with the area, on a 12-mile diversion along steep and narrow roads could have been a recipe for disaster – instead we have made the bride’s day.

“There is no doubt, having seen the photographs of Downholme Bridge, that repair work is urgently needed to prevent it falling down altogether. Unfortunately the diversions are very long and over remote moorland summits, but the repairs clearly have to take priority.”