Months of 17-mile diversion over 100 yards of roadworks

DRIVERS will be sent on a 17-mile diversion for almost four months because of work on a railway bridge.

The diversion near Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire means that motorists will be sent to Essex via the A414.

The stretch causing the disruption measures just 100 yards and will reopen in April after work to replace the Nazing New Road Bridge is completed.

It is possible to use a shorter route, but signage only points to the official 17-mile diversion, which takes an hour.

Hertfordshire county council has also told drivers to follow the diversion on its social media accounts.

Kate Snowden, head of communications at Network Rail, said that she “accepts” that the route will be disruptive. She told BBC Essex radio: “What is really difficult here is if you’re going to demolish a bridge, you shouldn’t run cars over it – it’s just impossible.

“I understand the disruption it’s causing but we do try and give people lots of prior notice so they can plan for those journeys.”

The bridge being replaced is on a route connecting London to Cambridgeshire, as well as Hertfordshire and Essex. Network Rail said the disruption was necessary to keep Broxbourne safe for road and rail users after remedial works, and that the old bridge would be replaced with a structure planned to last 120 years.

The council said the diversion had been set out to accommodate HGVS and buses, but that local residents or those following satnavs could use shorter routes.

The railway line under the old bridge will close from Jan 13 to 18 while the central bridge spans are replaced.

Network Rail said: “We are sorry for the disruption that is being caused by these important works.

“The official diversion route, published in November, has been agreed with the local highways authority primarily for large and heavy goods vehicles to avoid local weight restricted routes. Other, much shorter routes remain open for local people in smaller vehicles to use to cross the River Lea and the railway.”