Bridge closed after lorries ignore weight limit

The 185-year-old bridge is in need of repair

A bridge has been closed to all traffic because some lorry drivers have been ignoring weight restrictions.

Staffordshire County Council said Branston Bridge in Burton upon Trent had structural issues and the restrictions had been imposed for safety reasons.

It said it had CCTV evidence of large vehicles crossing the 185-year-old bridge, despite a 7.5 tonne limit and a width limit of 2.3m (7.5ft).

The bridge will remain closed while engineers explore options to repair and reinforce it, with the goal of eventually reopening it to larger vehicles.

Mark Deaville, the councillor responsible for highways, said: "Despite clear signage, repeated warnings and the implementation of weight and width restrictions, drivers continue to disregard the posted limits, putting themselves and others at risk."

He said the council had done everything it could to keep the bridge open, "including implementing weight and width restrictions, camera enforcement and working with local businesses to minimise the impact".

Mr Deaville said the work was likely to be complex and the council would seek funding from the Department for Transport.