Transport for Buckinghamshire (TfB) is aware of the concerns
of Marlow residents about the continued use of the newly reopened Marlow Bridge
by vehicles exceeding the 3 tonne weight limit. As early as the first day of
reopening, overweight vehicles were seen crossing, or attempting to cross the
bridge in spite of the weight limit.
County Councillor Mark Shaw, Cabinet Member for
Transportation in Buckinghamshire explained the complications with trying to
enforce the restrictions:
“This is a difficult problem to solve. It seems likely that
many drivers do not realise how little 3 tonnes is; for instance, a Range Rover
carrying four people and their shopping could easily exceed 3 tonnes. As such,
we will be trying to educate local residents on identifying the weight of their
vehicles if they are regular users of the bridge.
There are measures in place to deter heavier vehicles from
crossing the bridge already, for instance the width-restricting bollards.
However, as we know from experience, this does not put off all drivers.
Additionally, using width or height restrictions only works some of the time,
because not all heavy vehicles are necessarily overly wide, or tall.”
TfB is investigating other potential deterrents that could be
put in place, and in the meantime is liaising closely with Thames Valley Police
(TVP) to discuss closer monitoring and enforcement of the weight limit.
Inspector Scott Long of TVP Roads Policing says that the team
will be carrying out targeted enforcement of the bridge’s weight limit in the New
Year, adding:
“We are taking all violations of the weight limit very
seriously, due to the impact on the town’s residents and businesses of the two
month closure of the bridge after an HGV collided with it in September. We are
working with TfB to come to a solution, and would like to reinforce the message
to drivers that ignoring the weight restriction could result in penalties.”
More on the Marlow Bridge closure here.
Learn more about the different classifications of vehicle weights in our info video:
