Moss Swing Bridge worse than ever to operate

WE RECENTLY cruised from Skipton to Leeds and back, John Lloyd tells Canal & River Trust.

Moss Swing Bridge 218 [on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal] was always a pain to move but its replacement is 10 times worse.

If whoever designed this was creating a competition to join Mensa and win Mr Universe he succeeded; if it was to design a bridge it was an abject failure.

Over-complex and frustrating

The bridge is over-complex and frustrating for both boaters and road users. In an emergency it could not be operated quickly and is impossible for single-handers.

If a new bridge was required why not use the tried and tested full—or partially—automated design (e.g.. Granby 197A) already widely used rather than trying (unsuccessfully) to re-invent the wheel?

Also Oddies Bridge210 and the NEW Cowling bridge 191 required two people to operate.

For anyone who has not yet had the misfortune to encounter Moss Swing Bridge it requires (once you have understood the long list of instructions and pushed the right buttons) over 100 turns of one wheel to move the wedges (making sure for the first 12 turns to hold a lever with the other hand) and then walking to the other end of the bridge to turn another wheel to open it. And then do it all in reverse.