Hopes for one-way traffic over damaged bridge next week
TEMPORARY BARRIERS COULD ALLOW LANE TO REOPEN
LADY Bay Bridge will remain closed into next week while work takes place to make the structure safe.
Nottinghamshire County Council says it is working in partnership with Nottingham City Council on the clean-up operation to reopen the bridge after a lorry crashed into the brick parapet on Monday.
Safety reasons mean the bridge cannot yet reopen to traffic, although it is hoped that, once temporary barriers are in place next week, the bridge can reopen to traffic in one direction.
Councillor Neil Clarke, cabinet member for transport and environment at Nottinghamshire County Council, said that it is yet to be decided which direction the bridge will be open in.
He said: “This was a very serious incident and, on behalf of Nottinghamshire County Council, we would like to wish the driver of the lorry well in his recovery.
“I would also like to thank our teams from Via East Midlands who were on site within an hour after the collision to begin assessing the safety of the site.
“We are working hard to get the bridge open as soon as possible, but, as with any incident like this, there is a lot more to it than can be seen. Road safety is our number one priority, and that’s why the bridge will not reopen until we are satisfied that the structure is completely safe.
“Over the next week, we will be sourcing and installing temporary safety barriers which will sit in the carriageway, and this will allow us to open the bridge up to traffic in one direction.
“It is still to be decided which direction the bridge will be open in and we will, of course, keep motorists updated on this.
“A number of events are taking place in the local area in the coming days and weeks, including a T20 cricket match at the weekend, and so we have been liaising with event organisers to ensure there is minimal disruption.
“In terms of the full reopening of the bridge, this cannot happen until the full repair has been made and we anticipate this will take a number of weeks.
“The closure will, of course, have an impact on surrounding routes, and we would like to thank motorists for their patience whilst we are working hard to make repairs and get the bridge reopen as soon as possible.”
Councillor Audra Wynter, portfolio holder for highways, transport and parks at Nottingham City Council, said: “We’re extremely glad to hear that the driver appears to have emerged with only minor injuries from the accident and we wish him a swift recovery.
“Our highways officers have been on site providing support and assistance to county colleagues as they assess the damage to the bridge.
“The overriding factor here is public safety, and once it is deemed safe to do so we’ll look to reopen the road as quickly as possible.
“With protection barriers in place to facilitate the county’s ongoing assessment and repair work, this will involve reducing the road to a single lane and making it one-way for the foreseeable future.”