950 bridges weight limits
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• Around 950 road
bridges in England and EE Wales will have weight restrictions imposed on them in the next few months, if local authorities follow a new code from the Department of Transport, says the British Road Federation.
BRF says that there are currently 750 road bridges with weight restrictions in England and Wales, out of a total of 50,000 road bridges. Under the new code weight restrictions could be imposed on a total of 1,700 bridges.
Though local authorities are not required to follow the new code to the letter, ninny are re-assessing the strength of their road bridges against the code.
BM, claims that the imposition of new weight restrictions will increase industry's distribution costs by £44 million a year.
Peter Witt, BRF director says, "Spending D40 million a year for the next ten years would bring those bridges up to standard and enable restrictions to be taken off. . . The cost of a bridge rehabilitation programme will be less than the costs of expensive detours."