RAC

Drivers ignore bridge safety alert

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27 November 2009 at 11:14

A council has re-issued warnings over an unsafe bridge after motorists were caught on CCTV removing safety barriers and driving across it.

Engineers have declared the Calva Bridge in Workington to be in danger of imminent collapse after a part of it appeared to be sagging following "biblical" floods in Cumbria.

Police blocked off the bridge on Sunday and erected warning signs and barriers across it.

Allerdale Borough Council said its cameras trained on the structure spotted drivers of two vans and a car getting out of their vehicles and removing the checks before driving on.

Calva Bridge is only a mile downstream from the Northside Bridge which collapsed on Sunday killing Pc Bill Barker.

The council described the actions of the motorists, who were apparently trying to avoid a 10-mile detour, as "unbelievably dangerous".

A spokeswoman said: "Motorists are being warned not to attempt to use the Calva Bridge in Workington, which is in danger of imminent collapse, after two vans and a car were seen driving across it.

"Allerdale Borough Council's CCTV operators witnessed the unbelievably dangerous actions of drivers getting out of their cars to move safety barriers and warning signs so that they could drive across the bridge."

Copyright © Press Association 2009

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Allerdale Borough Council - http://www.allerdale.gov.uk/