Tadcaster could be without collapsed bridge for twelve months
County Hall investigating possibility of creating a temporary pontoon footbridge until Tadcaster Bridge made safe.
Tadcaster
Residents in Tadcaster are being warned that it could take more than twelve months before their town's collapsed bridge is fully repaired.
Meetings between North Yorkshire County Council, Highways England, the Department for Transport and the military took place yesterday as bosses look to decide on a plan of action to re-unite both halves of the flood-hit town.
Following the outcome of the meeting it is understood that the existing 18th century listed bridge can be repaired and that NYCC believe it is best placed to carry out the necessary reconstruction work to restore its highly complex masonry arches.
NYCC believes the works could cost as much as £3 million and take around 12 months to complete, depending on circumstances encountered. Financial support will be sought from central Government to fund the project.
Pedestrian links between the east and west banks of the Wharfe are expected to be restored via the use of a temporary footbridge. Planning for this is still at an early stage however.
The prospect of mobilising the military to build a temporary road bridge at the location has been ruled out due to the size of the span required and worries that any temporary structure might hamper repairs to the existing bridge.
County Councillor Don Mackenzie, North Yorkshire's Executive Member for Highways confirmed the plans. He said, "This bridge was built in the 18th century and its reconstruction will be highly complex and require specialist skills which the county council's bridges engineers are very well qualified to carry out.
"Unfortunately there is no quick fix and in the meantime we will look at all options to create pedestrian access across the river."
"The county council is also looking to stabilise the bridge further with concrete underpinning of the bridge's pier due to flood waters scouring part of the river bed underneath. However, the bridge will remain closed to both pedestrians and traffic.
"The county council is therefore looking to improve the existing pedestrian route across the viaduct. It is also looking at the possibility of creating a temporary footbridge across the river using pontoons. But without further investigation engineers cannot say whether this will be either safe or practicable."
In Tadcaster, NYCC staff have operated a shuttle bus to take passengers via the A64 from one side of the River Wharfe to the other. This is now being operated by Utopia, the county council's contractor.