Bridge crossing River Tamar shut for repairs

Gunnislake Newbridge was built circa 1520, with sections rebuilt in 1773, DCC said

A bridge that links Devon and Cornwall will be closed for a number of days for repair work, Devon County Council (DCC) said.

Gunnislake Newbridge will be closed between 09:30 and 15:30 BST until Friday.

The authority has urged motorists to use different routes while the repair work is carried out.

DCC's cabinet member for highways management, councillor Stuart Hughes, said the closure is "unavoidable".

The council said it was aiming for the work to be completed by 6 September

The council said engineers discovered a hole in one of the piers in April.

The damage was thought to have been caused by debris such as loose trees being swept down river following flooding, and colliding with the bridge.

Mr Hughes said specialist divers and contractors will carry out a full underwater inspection and make the repairs.

He said: “This will include adding steel nosings to the piers to protect this listed and historic structure against future impacts.

“During the closure we will take the opportunity to also carry out patching work to the road surface at each end of the bridge, clear vegetation from the bridge elevations, and extract the last remaining sunken tree against the bridge piers thereby avoiding the need for another closure at a later date."

Local resident Ross Hanley said people were concerned about the closure, adding the diversion is 32 miles (51km) long.

"There are shorter routes available", he said.

"But they are a bit narrow so they are not advisable for any large vehicles.

"And, certainly not advisable for any driver who is not very good at reversing."

Mr Hughes said the bridge will reopen when it was safe to do so.