Bridge weight limit upsets transport businesses

TRANSPORT businesses around Leighton Buzzard are up in arms that a weight limit is being put on a Grand Union Canal bridge.

The bridge that carries the B488 over the Grand Union Canal below the town was damaged in May last year, by an heavy goods vehicle as shown in the photograph, and to protect the bridge in its damaged state a temporary 18 tonnes maximum weight was enforced, Alan Tilbury reports.

Made permanent

But now the weight limit is to be made permanent and that is causing anger among business owners complaining that lorries visiting local industrial estates will have to divert through villages, including Cheddington and Long Marston.

Businesses claim that no-one complained at the time then, because people knew the restriction wasn't permanent, but now one regional operations manager of the Road Haulage Association complains:

Prevent access

“This will prevent LGV’s being able to access businesses, both adjacent to the bridge and 35 businesses at the nearby Cheddington Airfield. These SMEs all rely on LGVs to deliver and collect their products. The diversion will add extra costs. One business has calculated the extra cost at £100K per annum, and more than 40 others will have similar costs.”