Warburton Toll Bridge under threat of closure due to illegal use by overweight vehicles

WARBURTON Toll Bridge could be shut during the ongoing upgrade works to protect the safety of other road users and engineers who are being put at risk by the drivers of tractors, lorries and other heavy vehicles.

Since the tolls were withdrawn to facilitate the upgrade works last year, various measures have been put in place to deter overweight vehicles with limited success.

In addition to clear signage which warned of the restrictions, barriers were introduced in order to further deter dangerous access for overweight vehicles, but even those haven’t stopped drivers from illegally accessing the route.

Some tractor drivers have even taken to obscuring their number-plates to avoid being caught on camera and claimed to site staff that they have a permit issued by the Manchester Ship Canal Company, although no such permits exist.
Jon Hassett, Deputy Port Director said: “We have put in place a number of safe and sensible measures to deter these irresponsible drivers and ensure everyone’s safety.
“Unfortunately the problem persists and unless we are able to resolve the illegal use of overweight vehicles using the bridge, we will be left with no other solution than to shut the road completely.
“It is essential that we can focus our efforts and resources on completing the upgrade as soon as possible rather than tackling this selfish behaviour.”
Contractor Taziker, whose staff are doing most of the Warburton Toll Bridge upgrade works, echoed the call for responsible bridge use.
Neil Harrison, MD at Taziker said: “While works like these are going on there has to be a weight restriction to protect the structure, all road users and our workers. It is extremely disappointing that some drivers are so willing to put other people at risk for their own convenience. It’s also unreasonable to expect our staff, or indeed anyone, to be policing access and risking confrontation with individuals who have so far shown little regard for others.”
Local authorities have already been advised of the seriousness of the problem. Peel Ports Group and Taziker are monitoring the situation daily given the frequency of the breaches, with the full closure of the bridge being a real risk in the near future.
More information on the upgrades to the bridge and the warnings and other updates given to motorists can be found at https://www.warburtontollbridge.co.uk/