40-tonners mammoth bridge bill —engineer
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• Bridge engineers estin that it will cost £500 million, possibly twice that, to bring many of the country's brido up to the standard needed t carry 40-tonne lorries.
Five hundred engineers met in Leamington Spa last week at a seminar organise( by the Institution of Highwa and Transportation, during which it emerged that many newer bridges, as well as pi 1922 structures, are in neec of strengthening.
According to Freight Trar port Association planning dir tor Richard Turner, who attended the seminar, estimates of the backlog in bridi repairs range between 2150 million and 21 billion, but an probably realistically around £500 million.
In the course of a detailed reassessment of the nation's bridges — which the Govern ment says must be strengthened before 40-tonn lorries authorised in the rest of Europe are allowed to rur here — weight restrictions are being placed on bridges which show signs of fatigue.
Many of these are pre-19: structures, built before national standards applied, bi newer bridges are suffering from intensive traffic use, an corrosion caused by salt in winter.
Turner, who is preparing the PTA's delayed report ad vocating 40-tanners in Britai acknowledges that 38-tonne lorries are being blamed for the deterioration of bridges. say emphatically that they at not the cause. It is because a backlog in repairs and increasing freight movements.
The FTA's report, which being prepared to show as u to date a position as possible is being delayed now while EEC Transport Ministers wrestle with a policy on driv axle weight limits for 40-tanners,