Safety work to begin on blackspot bridge with A59 in Tarleton shut overnight this week
There were a spate of smashes at the site during the summer.
An ‘anti-skid’ surface is being added to a busy Lancashire bridge that has been repeatedly struck by vehicles - leaving a hole in one of its sides.
Bank Bridge, on the A59 in Tarleton, was hit three times in the space of six weeks over the summer - with concrete blocks being put in place after the most serious of the incidents in order to plug the gap that had opened up in the structure.
The spate of crashes was the latest in a series that has occurred in recent years, sparking calls for action from locals and the county councillor for the area - who warned that it was only “a matter of time” before a motorist ended up in one of the two waterways that flow beneath the bridge.
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Lancashire County Council is now set to lay specialist skid prevention material to the crossing - which stands on the border of Chorley and West Lancashire - on what is the main route between Preston, Southport and Liverpool.
The new surface will start in advance of the bashed bridge on the Southport-bound side of the carriageway - on the sharp right-hand bend on the approach to the structure - which is the direction from which the summer’s accidents all occurred. An existing safety barrier on the pavement on that side of the road - designed to protect the bridge - stops just short of the point of impact in each of the smashes.
The work will mean the road is closed every night between 8pm and 5am from 1st until 7th November at the latest. Traffic will be diverted between the A59’s junction with the A565 and the Carr House roundabout - via the villages of Croston and Bretherton - during the closure.
County Cllr Thomas de Freitas, who represents the West Lancashire North division, told the Lancashire Post the move was a much-needed first step.
“This is, of course, welcome and should lead to an improvement to the safety of the bridge. Lancashire County Council confirmed to me last week that they have spent around £150,000 on the bridge over the years to repair damage from accidents.
“It's good to now see money spent on prevention, rather than just repairs. I'll be continuing to push on behalf of my residents and businesses for improvements at this site,” County Cllr de Freitas added.
The authority had previously said it was considering various safety upgrades at the location, but that the assessment process was likely to continue until close to Christmas - and that funding would then have to be found to deliver any of the recommended options.
However, the laying of the anti-skid surface seems to have raced ahead of that timetable and County Cllr de Freitas says he has been advised that other measures - including new road markings, signage improvements, a speed limit change and the issue of safety barrier - are all still under consideration.
The current speed limit on either side of the bridge is 40mph - although there is an advisory 30mph limit on the crossing itself, which passes over the River Douglas and the Leeds-Liverpool canal.
Data from the CrashMap website shows that prior to the trio of accidents that occurred on Bank Bridge during July and August, there had been two serious and three slight collisions at the location in the preceding five years - with several more on the immediate approaches from Windgate from the south and Liverpool Road from the north.
The LDRS approached Lancashire County Council for comment, but had not received a response by the time of publication.
In a statement earlier this month responding to Cllr de Freitas’s concerns, a spokesperson for the authority said: "We recognise concerns about collisions at Bank Bridge and are analysing the factors associated with the incidents and the site. This work will help inform costed proposals for consideration as part of future highways investment planning.
"As a Grade II-listed structure on a busy transport route, any potential measures require careful assessment.
"We are reviewing options, including road surface condition, signage, road layout and safety barriers. This work is ongoing, no decisions have yet been made, and funding would need to be identified before any proposals could be progressed," the spokesperson said.