Bubwith bridge repairs expected to take five months to complete

The Grade II listed Bubwith bridge was damaged after it was hit by a car in September

Major repairs to an 18th Century bridge struck by a car will begin in July, a council has said.

Part of the parapet on the bridge, in the East Yorkshire village of Bubwith, collapsed when it was hit in September.

Work is expected to take about five months to complete, according to East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

The structure, which carries the A163 over the River Derwent, will be closed to all users during this time, it added.

Bridge barrier

Built in 1798, the stone structure is Grade II listed, therefore repairs must be "sympathetic" to both the bridge and its surroundings, the council said.

Specialist contractors and materials will need to be drafted in, the council said.

In the weeks after the crash, the council carried out investigations to determine what repairs would be needed.

However, high river levels and weather conditions meant permanent repairs could not be carried out at the time, so the bridge was made safe for the winter, and vehicle size and weight restrictions were put in place.

As well as the repairs, the work will include the installation of a barrier to protect the bridge in the event of any future collisions, resurfacing of the road and strengthening work.

'Major damage'

Adam Holmes, the council's director of infrastructure and facilities, said it understood the work would cause disruption but added it was "essential" the authority acted to protect the bridge for the future.

He said: "The crash caused major damage to the bridge, and highlighted some weaknesses, and unfortunately, we cannot carry out the necessary repairs while the bridge is open.

"We will be contacting residents and businesses directly next week to give them the chance to raise any issues or special requirements. We will do what we can to help.

"We don't want to leave people without public transport, and we will provide more information about bus timetables in the coming weeks."