Grantham bridge in Top Ten of hit parade

A Grantham railway bridge is among the top 10 hit by lorries over the past year, Network Rail has revealed.

But Harlaxton Road bridge only comes seventh having been unlucky to take 13 hits.

Meanwhile Barrowby Road with eight strikes was 19th.

Twenty years ago, Grantham had three in the top 10.

The Watling Street railway bridge on the A5 in Hinckley, Leicestershire, saw 25 crashes – almost once a fortnight – on average in the year to the end of March.

However, Network Rail said there had been an 11% decrease in bridge crashes compared to the previous year.

Network Rail said there was an average of five railway bridge crashes per day nationally, with repairs costing an average of £13,000 per strike.

It has started a new awareness campaign ahead of an expected increase in traffic encouraging lorry drivers to familiarise themselves with the height of their vehicle before setting off.

Chairman Sir Peter Hendy said: “We’ve done a lot of work with partners across the industry in recent years to tackle bridge strikes, and whilst it’s encouraging to see our work is paying off with numbers now on the decline, there’s a lot more to be done to cut the unnecessary delays, costs and safety risks they pose.”

Network Rail has also written to operators of large vehicle fleets warning they could lose their licence if they fail to have measures in place to minimise the risk of drivers misjudging bridges.

Most frequently struck bridges in 2019-20

1. Watling Street, Hinckley, Leicestershire – struck 25 times

2. Bromford Road, Dudley, West Midlands – struck 24 times

3. St John’s Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire – struck 23 times

4. Stuntney Road, Ely, Cambridgeshire – struck 19 times

5. Abbey Farm, Thetford, Norfolk – struck 16 times

6. Thurlow Park Road, Tulse Hill, London – struck 14 times

7= Carlisle Road, Cleland, North Lanarkshire – struck 13 times

7= Harlaxton Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire – struck 13 times

7= Stonea Road, Stonea, Cambridgeshire – struck 13 times

10= Coddenham Road, Needham Market, Suffolk – struck 11 times

10= Lower Downs Road, Wimbledon, London – struck 11 times