Road on Exmoor reopens with temporary bridge

Questions raised over when a permanent fixture will be installed

A North Devon councillor is “really glad” that an Exmoor road has reopened following the installation of a temporary bridge, but he questions when a permanent replacement will be built.

An emergency road closure was put in place at Martinhoe Bridge, near the Hunters Inn, at the beginning of July. The bridge was built in 1953 and routine inspections by Devon County Council (DCC) have found “serious defects with the structure.”

It reopened this week, with a 15 mph limit in place, after the council installed a 24-metre-long temporary steel bridge over the existing structure.

Small concrete walls were also built to enable ramps to be installed at each end of the bridge.

North Devon councillor John Patrinos (Independent, Lynton and Lynmouth) said: “Obviously the bridge closure was a nuisance, especially for people that rely on that route, and I only live a couple of miles away. But just about everyone accepted that it was necessary.

“I’m really glad the highways authority was able to make the route usable so quickly. But I’m still concerned that the huge financial pressures they and other councils face might delay a permanent replacement.”

Cllr Patrinos’ comments come after DCC predicted a potential overspend in this financial year of up to £40 million, with a warning that it has “never before faced a combination of demand growth and price shock pressures of this scale.”

As well as other cost-saving measures, it could mean major building projects are delayed or cancelled. Last week the council suspended the budgets given to councillors for local projects in their communities.

The cost of the temporary bridge replacement hasn’t been revealed.

Councillor Stuart Hughes (Conservative, Sidmouth), Devon’s cabinet member for highways, said: “Thanks must go to all of those who have made this scheme happen in double-quick time… Our next steps will be to carefully consider and design a permanent solution for this site in the coming months.”

Local county councillor Andrea Davis (Combe Martin Rural) said: “This has been a remarkably swift response from [DCC] which I’m sure will be very much welcomed by the local community.

“Well done to everyone involved in such a quick turn-around to make it possible to re-open the road.”