"Enough is enough": Wilton councillor calls for action after another bridge crash
There have been two so far this month
Last updated 29th Jul 2022
Following another crash by a lorry into the railway bridge on the A36 in Wilton, a councillor who represents the town has called for action.
Wiltshire Councillor Pauline Church says enough is enough and has written to National Highways calling on them to do something.
It's problem which has gone on for many years, and there have been two incidents already this month.
In 2020, the bridge was the 12th most struck in the country.
Cllr Church wants them to repaint the lines on the road as they have worn out, and would help guide lorries into the middle of the road.
She also has concerns that the HGV warning lights are not working.
In her email, Pauline said:
"Yet again the low railway bridge on the A36 at Wilton was hit by a lorry yesterday resulting in significant disruption. This is the second time this month.
As per my request on 7th July can you please urgently re-mark the white lines and arrows that guide HGVs under the railway bridge. The lines are almost completely worn away and re-marking will not only guide lorries to help prevent them hitting the bridge, it will also help motorists give sufficient space when approaching from the opposite direction, so that high sided vehicles can easily take up the middle of the road.
Can you also confirm that the HGV warning lights on the approach to the bridge still work. I am hearing this is not the case and may be a contributing factor to these recurring incidents.
Better still what infrastructure improvements do National Highways and Network Rail have in the pipeline to avoid high sided vehicles hitting the bridge in the first place? It is an increasing problem that appears to have no investment to resolve while the local community and those passing through Wilton, on this busy road and rail network, are expected to endure frequent disruption."
When incidents like this occur, the bridge needs to be checked for any damage, causing traffic problems in the village and further afield.
It also often cause delays and problems with the railway line.
Cllr Church told Greatest Hits that it's frustrating for residents and motorists:
"Certainly you see the frustration on social media and people have almost become complacent and just say oh no, not again. Well, that's just not really good enough, in my view, and this is the situation that happened Monday. You had bricks that had fallen off the bridge onto the road, so there is a risk that someone could be seriously injured when this happens. So I completely can understand the frustration and why particularly the local Wilton Community gets slightly frustrated about the situation but it's not just for them it's for people that travel on that road from outside Wilton."
'Aim to deliver scheme in next two years'
Meanwhile, National Highways have responded.
They say that they're due to start a "detailed design" on a new scheme which looks at a number of solutions.
Chris Hilldrup, National Highways Route Manager for the A36, said:
“We’re currently in the process of renewing the detection and warning system in place at the Wilton bridge location.
“We’re due to start detailed design on a scheme which will include height detection to provide earlier warning for over-height vehicles to avoid the bridge and allow suitable height vehicles to pass safely under the centre of the bridge. Included in the design will be a review of the lane markings either side of the structure and below the bridge arch, and we are looking to deliver the scheme within the next two years.
“In the meantime, weekly inspections of our A roads are carried out as standard and should any defects be identified, including worn road markings, these are acted upon.”