Closed
Bridge and barriers been struck in 2 seperate incidence
Sent to Oxfordshire County Council less than a minute later. FixMyStreet ref: 9260722.
In the last week the bridge brick pillar has been struck again by a HGV turning onto the Great Brook Road as the turning circle is too tight for such large vehicles. It’s made the pillar perilously unstable and broken the protective barriers which are now unfastened and have blown into the road repeatedly when it’s been windy this past week and risk damaging vehicles. I have repeatedly moved them out of the way so they don’t blow onto a passing vehicle but someone keeps putting them back unattached and unstable.
Also today a HGV has struck the temporary barrier metal railings on bridge itself buckling them which is a hazard as they now protrude into the road itself and risk hitting cars and are certainly a greater risk of getting struck again by larger vans / HGV coming over the bridge.
All this re-enforces the need for OCC to revise their short sighted decision not to extend the 7.5 T restriction along this road / narrow bridge. The regular use of this road by HGV over this unsuitable narrow bridge (who are not deterred by the signage advising ‘not suitable for HGVs’) is causing repeated damage to the bridge. To ensure it doesn’t further deteriorated but crucially when repaired isn’t just damaged again this restriction is urgently needed.
Council ref: ENQ261095834
Updates
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Thank you for your enquiry. This issue has been passed onto the relevant team for investigation.
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Barrier that was hit last week has been hit again and is dangerously protruding into what is a narrow bridge crossing. Large vans and HGV will be unable to pass without hitting it again and I’m struggling in my MPV. Unbelievably the contractors came out Thursday/Friday last week to reattach the plastic fencing around the collapsing pillar with cable ties and just left this buckled metal railing dangerously protruding into the narrow bridge crossing . Needs urgent removal.
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Bridge and protective barriers have been hit again. 3rd time this month!!!! We need the repairs and 7.5 t restriction in place to prohibit the HGVs coming down here to avoid Bampton and then finding when they get to the bridge it’s too narrow to turn without making several back and forward manoeuvres…which are resulting in some HGVs hitting the brick pillars and barriers. The barrier also now needs replacing as disintegrating.
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Thank you for your enquiry. We will continue to monitor and maintain the barriers in the short term. While a recent structural assessment indicates a permanent weight restriction is not technically required, we recognise that HGVs are ignoring the current signage to bypass Newbridge; therefore, we are actively exploring options for an enforceable Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) to restrict them, ahead of permanent reconstruction works planned for the next financial year. Thank you for your patience.
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Just to respond to your update. 1. You reference the signage is to avoid newbridge but this bridge is the one over the Great Brook near Chimney and not the newbridge bridge by the Maybush pub.
2. Whilst structurally the bridge may be able to carry a 7.5T + HGVs, the key issue why it is getting repeatedly struck is that it is too narrow for the HGV to swing round and turn on and off the Great Brook Road which is a 90 degree junction to the bridge . I and other residents of the hamlet have seen several occasions when HGVs have turned on and off the Great Brook Road from and onto this bridge. The lorries have to do multiple point turns and this is made much more problematic by the dog walkers who regularly park their cars by the junction - which restricts the turning circle even more. I have a video of an HGV making this back and forward manoeuvre several times to be able to clear the bridge and turn right. You can see exactly why the bridge is getting hit from Seeing how hard it is for them to turn. I sent it to one of your OCC surveyors that were out last Autumn surveying the bridge when I stopped to talk to them. I had hoped they’d share it with the bridge team as they agree the bridge is problematic for HGV to turn or and onto at this junction. I can forward it to you if you provide a contact email as it won’t upload to fix my street.
3. Finally, why has this permenant repair been delayed another year into 2027? This is the 4th year in a row it has been pushed back a year. Our previous MP was advised it would be repaired in 2023 after we’d reported it in 2022. This was then delayed to 2024. The new MP was advised it was now scheduled for this summer and that was still what we were advised of at the beginning of the year. It just seems to consistently being pushed back every year, all the while the bridge is deteriorating rapidly from being repeatedly struck by HGVs. This bridge in the winter is our only access route out of the Chimney hamlet when the Great Brook Road floods and is impassable for months ( as it has been for the past few years). The residents of the hamlet who rely on this access are deeply concerned by the continued delays to repairing and protecting this bridge as it’s our vital and only route.
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Thank you for your report. The defect has been listed for repair.
This report is now closed to updates from the public. You can make a new report in the same location.