RESIDENTS of a County Durham village who live near an unsafe bridge are calling for traffic measures to be lifted.

Villagers in New Brancepeth say the restrictions put in place following the closure of Deerness Bridge mean the time taken to do journeys to school and work has tripled.

The restrictions include a one-way system on Broadgate Road, which forces people to use a seven-mile diversion route, including the busy A690.

The bridge was closed in April after an inspection found it had structural weaknesses.

Resident Mike Reed, 45, was so frustrated by the system and the lack of information he set up a Facebook group, which has since attracted almost 500 people.

The father-of-two, whose son is a pupil at Durham Johnston, says the school run has gone from less than 15 minutes to more than 40 minutes.

He said: “It’s been compounded by the issue with Broadgate Road. It’s always been a two-way system. If people take it slow its fine so why not impose a 20mph speed limit?”

He added: “The decision was made with no consultation or information supplied to local people.

“We’re just a little pit village but people do live here and pay our taxes and go to work. They’ve made things very difficult for us without a lot of consultation.”

The closure has also made it difficult for people attending medical appointments in Ushaw Moor and Broompark and has had an impact on businesses.

Brigid Press, manager at Lionmouth Rural Centre, said: “We’re a community interest company which means we have to make our own money to do the work we do for people with disabilities and learning difficulties.

“To make money we have our tearoom and plant nursery but with the change in traffic we’re down by 80 per cent.”

The one-way system is due to be lifted when a temporary bailey bridge is installed but will be reinstated when work on a permanent structure starts.

Work on the bailey bridge is due to start at the end of the month and when finished will be single lane with traffic lights.

John Reed, our head of technical services, said: "We apologise for any inconvenience or difficulties caused by the closing of the bridge, and would like to thank local people and all users of the route for their on-going patience.

"The temporary Bailey bridge will enable us to reopen this vital route whilst we develop our plans for a permanent replacement."