Another stupid driver closes a waterway

THE Lancaster Canal has been closed by yet another stupid driver.

Lea Lane Bridge (22) has been hit by a vehicle strike closing it to navigation, Keith Gudgin reports.

This follows other such occurrences that have too often closed waterways and cost a great deal of money  to repair.

Bridges are long-running targets for vandals too, such as White Bridge on the Caldon that is now in a sorry state and is estimated it will cost 75,000 to repair.

New system

However, a new system controlled by using a mobile phone signal that doesn’t continuously record but takes a few photos when it detects vehicle movement, has been developed. The system then assesses if the bridge has been hit.

If there is no strike, the photos are deleted and if damage has been caused, staff receive a notification, allowing them to identify number plates to track down the offenders and claim full repair costs on their insurance.