Roads over troubled bridges
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• The EEC Commission has asked Britain to submit an urgent report within the next six months on the state of the country's 90,000 road bridges.
Originally the report should have been ready by the end of last year so the EEC could make proposals on the duration of Britain's exemption from the 40-tonne EEC lorry limit. The data which was supplied by London, however, was insufficient, and a more detailed survey has been requested by Brussels.
Common Market officials estimate that about 20,000 of the bridges are strong enough to carry 40-tonners. In fact, they claim these bridges, which are mostly located on trunk routes, are stronger than many continental bridges which are already carrying 40-tonne lorries.
About 20,000 bridges are accepted by Brussels as being too weak — but many of these are not on routes likely to carry large lorries. The other 50,000 bridges are regarded as a "grey area" — some may need strengthening, others not.
Brussels officials estimate that the bridges problem could be solved and lorry weights increased to 40 tonnes in Britain and Ireland within five years if the cash is available.
Britain, however, still holds the trump card. The date for ending the period of exemption must be agreed unanimously, giving the Government the power of veto.
A Department of Transport spokesman said this week that the government was still awaiting a report on the state of Britain's bridges that the European commission was supposed to have produced by last June.