LCC crews have found a way to open a single lane across – but expect delays.
Dunham Bridge has been partially reopened this evening (11 January) thanks to a huge amount of work by LCC Highways.
As record-breaking floodwater levels, the legacy of Storm Henk, begin to recede, a specialist crew set to work to pump out what they could from the natural dipped landscape at the bottom of the bridge.
After thousands of gallons of water were moved and a temporary barrier built up, a single lane has now been able to be opened. The flow of traffic will now be controlled by traffic signals to limit the amount of vehicles able to safely get across the bridge. There will be no charge for crossing the bridge whilst the traffic lights are in place.
The news means that, whilst the bridge can be used again, it will only be able to take a small fraction of the traffic it would normally manage. This situation will remain for the foreseeable future until the water levels drop further.
Cllr Richard Davies, Executive member for Highways said: “I want to pay a big tribute and give thanks to our teams who have worked so hard to make this happen.
“Because the ground is so waterlogged at the base of the bridge and the sheer volume of water involved, it’s taken a massive effort and some extremely difficult work to reach this stage. Our crews have been excellent in what they’ve done.
“The traffic lights will remain in place for the safety of road users. The bridge won’t be able to carry anything like the normal amount of traffic, and won’t be able to for a while yet.
“We strongly advise that anyone traveling towards the bridge allows a lot of extra journey time to take into account the reduced capacity.”
For more live information on this and other roadworks, go to: www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/roadworks.