THE road bridge over the River Esk at Grosmont on the North York Moors has reopened to traffic after being badly damaged by a heavy commercial vehicle earlier this month.

The vehicle knocked a substantial part of the bridge parapet and wing wall into the river, leaving a dangerous drop into the river.

On March 4, North Yorkshire County Council’s highways team erected temporary barriers and later placed bags of sand to deter drivers from using the bridge until it had been repaired.

Before repairs could begin, customised cantilever scaffolding had to be designed and erected.

While that was happening, highways contractors recovered stone from the river for dressing and reuse, although some was too damaged to reuse. New stone was ordered from a local supplier.

Repairs started on March 10 and contractors worked seven days a week to bring the bridge back into use as quickly as possible.

The county council took the opportunity to obtain a second scaffold while the scaffold contractor was in the area to fix masonry at Goathland Bridge.

Highways area manager Richard Marr said: “The county council recognises the importance of the bridge as part of the road network. If the bridge is closed, the diversion route for traffic between villages is long and inconvenient.”

He added: “While it is not feasible to ban heavy commercial vehicles from using the bridge, which has a sharp left-hand bend on one approach, the council will look at possible solutions to reduce the likelihood of damage to the bridge in the future.”