Bickleigh Bridge shut for three weeks

Repair costs rise once more

A key route between Exeter and Tiverton could be blocked for three weeks after a bridge was struck by a lorry.

The twisting A396 is frequently a squeeze as lorries and buses move between city and town. But the collision near the Fisherman's Cot on Tuesday morning led to lengthy delays - and now will require a detour for a while.

More than £130,000 has been spent in recent years on repairs to the ancient Grade II-listed bridge – just a month after protection work to prevent collisions.

The bridge, originally built in the late 16th century, straddles the River Exe and was largely rebuilt in 1809 after flood damage. It can't accommodate more than a single lane of modern day traffic and has no pavement. 

Devon County Council confirmed that significant damage has been caused. Repair work will begin later this week once the lorry has been recovered.

While no details have yet been confirmed as to how costly the latest incident will be, it will add to a repair bill that has hit six figures in the last 15 years purely on repairs - £133,440 from 2005 until August 2020.

That figure doesn’t include the cost of new protective anti-climb kerbstones last month during which the bridge closed. The kerbs, first introduced at the bridge in 2009, help guide larger vehicles safely to prevent collisions with the structure.

They had reduced the amount of times the bridge has been struck, but they needed to be replaced as they have sustained severe damage over the years.

On the latest incident, a Devon County Council spokesman said: “The bridge has suffered significant damage and the road will need to be closed while part of the arch and parapet are rebuilt. River levels are currently high so a complicated scaffolding access will need to be installed so repairs can be carried out.

“DCC engineers will be assessing the extent of the damage today and once HGV has been removed repairs works are likely to commence this week. Once the extent of damage is assessed an update on when the road is likely to be reopened will be published.”