Bridge changes need to be policed

Having just read yesterday’s article in the Chronicle (Large trucks ‘breaching bridge weight restriction,’ February 20) I have tried to compose what I think was the content of the council’s letter sent out to hauliers.

“Dear Haulage Contractor “We have a serious issue with the Cleveland Bridge on the A36 through Bath. It is a Grade I listed structure built in the early 1800s, which currently takes most of the through traffic from the M4 onto the A36/A350 and vice versa.

“Our studies show that daily there are at least 600 heavy vehicles crossing this bridge, and it has become evident that it cannot sustain this flow without substantial damage to its fabric.

“We have decided to issue an 18 tonne limit on all vehicles crossing this bridge as from February 3.

“This ban will be rigorously enforced by a twice daily visit by the police (if they can get through the traffic queues), photos sent into the Bath Chronicle taken by its readers and posts on social media.

“Please do not cheat and come through at night otherwise we will be forced to ask local residents to form a volunteer monitoring group.

“As we may well have missed some hauliers (particularly those from the continent) could I please ask you to pass this information on to your drivers who can in due course advise in “haulier lingo” other drivers when they meet at the various motorway service areas to avoid this area.”

Whilst writing this, I suddenly thought that if I were to stray into a bus lane, park in a residents’ zone or fall foul of the R.U.H parking-eye I would immediately get a fine.

Could our parking wardens not visit this area on their daily beats and photograph offending vehicles? A search on the DVLA site should show the vehicle weight.

As a matter of interest, we travelled back home from Salisbury yesterday afternoon on the A36, and I lost count of the number of heavy lorries travelling in both directions, some but not all of them probably taking the signed diversion. I followed three down past Sydney gardens, all three went over the bridge despite the signage. Mike Fear By email