The cause of a near six-month lane closure on the A1(M) after a bridge was struck in a crash has been explained.
Works to repair the bridge carrying the road between Junctions 60 and 61 in County Durham have dragged on after it was struck again weeks after being fixed.
The motorway’s northbound inside lane first closed on September 27 when a car on the road underneath between Bishop Middleham and Mainsforth hit the bridge carrying the motorway.
A Mercedes driver was left in hospital and one lane of the A-road shut.
Motorists recently expressed confusion at the lane being coned off but not having seen any work taking place for the almost six months since.
One driver said: “It’s been like this for months with the lane coned off. I drive along here all the time and have never seen any work going on.”
National Highways confirmed repairs finished in December 2024, but two weeks later the bridge was hit and damaged again.
It is hoped the second repair will take place in the coming weeks.
A spokesperson said: “The bridge parapet was actually struck on two separate occasions.
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“The first was on September 27. This was repaired in December 2024 but just two weeks after that permanent repair, there was another collision during which the same parapet was damaged.
“We have to go out and get specialist parts which can take weeks or months to obtain and a temporary lane closure and concrete barrier are put in while we source them.
“The team are hopeful the second permanent repair can be made in the coming weeks.”
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