A problem Darlington tunnel will be closed later this month to allow contractors to fix damage caused by vehicles who have become stuck on the stretch of road.

Over the years, the railway tunnel on Parkside in the town, aptly named Skinny Bridge, has seen numerous vehicles become jammed in the narrow tunnel - with caravans, delivery vans, and cars getting stuck.

The Northern Echo: Skinny Bridge on Parkside, DarlingtonSkinny Bridge on Parkside, Darlington (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

The tunnel is understood to become narrower towards the Park Lane side, lulling some motorists into a false sense of security.

During the most recent incident, which happened on March 25, the pedestrian railing that ran through the tunnel had to be removed to free a driver who had got a van stuck. 

The Northern Echo: A sign advertising the workA sign advertising the work (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

At the time, police were called to the scene and it’s understood the driver, who was stuck for more than an hour, was told not to move until engineers could assess the damage.

Railings along the side of the tunnel were cut out so the driver could climb free from the van.

Engineers were seen working at the site assessing whether any damage had been caused to the structure of the bridge.

The Northern Echo: The van getting stuck on March 25The van getting stuck on March 25 (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

A Durham Police spokesperson said at the time: "Police attended an incident at 10.40am today in which a van got stuck under the Skinny Bridge on Parkside, Darlington."

A Network Rail spokesperson added at the time: “This morning at 10:47 Network Rail supported Durham Police after reports of an incident of two vans striking a railway bridge near Darlington station.

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“One van was stuck and the handrails were removed to release the vehicle, with minor damage to the railway bridge."

As a result of the damage to the bridge, Network Rail has confirmed that they will be forced to close a section of Parkside and the bridge on April 22 to allow contractors to fit the pedestrian railing.

It's understood that this installation repair will only take one day.