£3m plan to raise Humber Bridge safety barriers

A £3m project is planning to raise the barriers on the Humber Bridge to increase safety and security for visitors.

The Humber Bridge Board is due to submit plans to increase the height of the barriers along the walkway to 2.7m.

The plan follows a study which included testing of the proposed design to ensure it will have no detrimental impacts on the bridge, pedestrians, cyclists or motorists.

The bridge has Grade-I listed status, so the study involved input from the local conservation teams and Historic England.

The proposal will require listed building consent from both North Lincolnshire and East Riding councils.

In the plans, The Humber Bridge Board has allocated a £3m budget to the project.

Tolls will not be increased to pay for the works. It will be funded by the Bridge Maintenance Fund.

Cllr Richard Hannigan, chair of the Humber Bridge Board and deputy leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “Raising the barriers on the Humber Bridge walkways has been the subject of debate for a long time.

"However, finding a solution that doesn’t detrimentally impact on the bridge has always been one of the major challenges.

“To overcome this, the Board launched a feasibility study into increasing the height of the existing barriers in 2019 and we’re delighted to report that process has been a success.

“The proposed design will provide a sturdy but lightweight extension that will increase the parapets to 2.7m without impacting on the integrity or performance of the bridge.

“It will not detract from the spectacular views along the Humber Estuary that the bridge affords, and we believe it meets the criteria set down by Historic England as a Grade One listed structure.”

He added the changes would make the bridge safer for everyone who visits it.

“The Humber Bridge Board believes everyone who uses the bridge, whether for commuting or leisure, should be able to do so in the safest possible environment,” he said.

“Now we have found a workable solution to raising the walkway barriers, the Board wants to ensure this important work is carried out.”

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