Three 'substandard' Barnsley bridges not safety risk - council

The three bridges, including one at Bradberry Balk Lane (above), all have weight restrictions marked, the council says

Three road bridges which were labelled in a report as "substandard" do not pose a safety risk, a council has said.

The bridges in Barnsley were described in an RAC Foundation report as unfit for the heaviest vehicles.

But Barnsley Council said the bridges at Oaks Lane, Bradberry Balk Lane and Smithy Bridge Lane, had clearly marked weight limits to ensure public safety.

Matt O'Neill, from the council, said work would be carried out on all three bridges when "resources allow".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the RAC Foundation motoring research charity surveyed all 208 local authorities responsible for highways in England.

It found a total of 2,928 bridges were "substandard", meaning they could not carry the largest 44-tonne lorries allowed on the roads.

'Safety remains priority'

But, Mr O'Neill, Barnsley Council's executive director for growth and sustainability, said the three bridges in Barnsley highlighted in the report "represent less than 1% of the 236 bridges on our network".

"This is below the national average of 4%," he added.

The authority's ambition was "to reduce this to zero and we will complete the works required to these bridges when resources allow", Mr O'Neill said.

"In the meantime, safety remains our number one priority, which is why weight restrictions remain in place on each of the bridges to ensure they are safe for everyone who uses them."

Mr O'Neill said Barnsley Council took maintenance of bridges "very seriously" and he wanted to reassure residents that "the RAC definition of substandard doesn't mean unsafe".