Scaffolding chaos means Ovingham Bridge closed until Christmas

Flood debris brought downriver by Storm Desmond damaged scaffolding surrounding Ovingham Bridge Credit: Northumberland County Council

Ovingham Bridge in Ovingham, Northumberland, will remain closed, at least until Christmas, the County Council has said.

The bridge was reopened with great fanfare on December 3rd after an 18-month renovation.

But high river levels on the River Tyne caused by by Storm Desmond brought flood debris crashing into scaffolding, which now lies mangled around the bridge.

The bridge is made up of a foot bridge and a road bridge.

Currently:

  • The footbridge is closed to pedestrians - the displaced scaffold is leaning on the footbridge. It is unsafe to allow pedestrians to use the footbridge, as it was not designed to carry them and the weight of the scaffold

  • The road bridge is closed to vehicles - the displaced scaffold is wrapped around the road bridge. Removing the scaffold will affect the road bridge, and it cannot be inspected until river levels drop.

  • The road bridge is open for pedestrians/cyclists only - The weight of pedestrians (typically 100kg) is significantly less than that of cars (up to 3,000kg), so the load pedestrians transfer to the foundations is significantly less.

Credit: Northumberland County Council

What happens next?

The council needs to clear the displaced scaffolding, ensuring no further damage is done to either bridge.The road bridge will not open before Christmas. The council will endeavour to re-open the footbridge before Christmas, but the river level needs to drop further to allow inspection of the foundations.