Motorists told to steer clear of 'dangerous' bridge

Motorists are being urged not to interfere with barriers put in place to stop traffic using a weakened bridge in Holderness.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council has closed Lambwath Bridge in Skirlaugh due to its "dangerous condition".

But farmer Guy Shelby said the bridge had been weak for years, and it had not stopped him taking combines and tractors across it. The alternative route would add about 12 miles to the journey.

A council spokesperson said the structure was likely to be replaced with a reinforced concrete bridge, and urged people not to drive vehicles across it in the meantime.

Shelby, who has farmland on both sides of the bridge, said the closure had made it more difficult to move machinery between his fields and had also raised concerns about the impact on a nearby padel court.

"It adds a lot of time for us to go round... if we have something we need to do at the other farm," he said.

"It just drives me absolutely insane."

Shelby said the crack identified in the structure had been there for "at least 20 years", and he criticised the council for closing the bridge but not carrying out immediate repairs.

Resident Paul Robson, who reported the crack to the council, said he was concerned about its condition and the volume of heavy agricultural traffic using the route.

"You can actually see some of the brickwork from underneath the bridge itself has fallen away," he said. "It just becomes a little bit worrying as to how safe it really is."

Both men said barriers at the site had been moved, with vehicles continuing to cross the bridge.

A council spokesperson urged people not to remove the temporary barriers.

"They have been put there for a reason – this bridge is in a dangerous condition," they said.

The authority said more robust barriers would be put in place.

It said the structure was beyond economic repair and would need to be completely replaced, likely with a reinforced structure, subject to approval from the Environment Agency.

"In the meantime, we continue to urge people not to drive any vehicles over this bridge," the spokesperson added.

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