A CASH-strapped council is facing a £1.5million bill for a new road bridge, as an expert warns others may have to close due to public spending cuts.

Durham County Council shut Deerness Bridge, which links Ushaw Moor and New Brancepeth over the River Deerness, west of Durham City, on Wednesday (April 13) after an inspection found ‘structural integrity’ issues.

Today (Thursday), John Reed, the council’s head of technical services, said the 116-year-old bridge had come to the end of its natural life and would have to be replaced, at a cost of £1.5million.

The council is now investigating whether temporary repairs could allow the road to be reopened or whether the route must remain blocked until a new bridge opens.

The issues were identified by an expert during a routine inspection.

Mr Reed said there was no immediate risk to the general public and passers-by would not have noticed any “visible failure”.

“There wasn’t an immediate risk to public safety but we were concerned that due to the natural deterioration of this 116-year-old bridge there was a risk that it could start to deteriorate further,” he said.

“Public safety has to be paramount and we made the decision to temporarily close the bridge.”

The closure has affected two public bus services, Arriva 48 and Scarlet Band 47, and school buses to Durham Community Business College, St Leonard’s RC and Durham Johnston.

Mr Reed said: “We appreciate it’s a really important link for local communities and businesses.”

The council is responsible for maintaining 1,600 structures across the county, including 600 bridges.

Graham Yates, chairman of the North-East regional committee of the Institution of Civil Engineers, said local authorities were responsible for “huge numbers” of structures, which he described as an onerous task, and public spending cuts had reduced the funding available for maintenance.

Councils were always very aware of risk, he said, and always inspected bridges to ensure they were safe.

However, continued spending cuts may mean the imposition of further weight restrictions or temporary bridge closures, he added.

Mr Reed said there was a capital budget of £18million a year and Durham council would "find a way" to fund the new bridge.

Further details can be found at durham.gov.uk/deernessbridge