Villagers rage at council over roadworks adding 18 miles to their journeys

16 November 2023 , 15:05

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Frustrated villagers in East Ruston, North Norfolk are being made to wait for repairs to a local bridge (Image: Nick Lyons)

Fuming villagers have hit out at a local council after they say they were forced to add 18 miles to their journeys because of a closed bridge.

Residents of cosy East Ruston in North Norfolk claim they are shelling out around £1,000 more in petrol each month while the Honing New Bridge is shut, as they are forced to take a long detour. The bridge was closed in June after a crack was discovered during a routine inspection earlier this year - and it is yet to reopen five months later. It's a situation not helped, residents say, by the installation of "confusing" temporary signage that sends down winding country roads.

A crack was discovered in Honing New Bridge this year during a routine inspection (Richard Price)

The 1920s brick bridge crosses over the Hundred Stream, which forms a natural border between two parishes of East Ruston. The stream is said to take its name from the historical significance of the division it created, which meant 100 men were required from each side of the river to be able to bear arms for the local lord.

Repairs on the bridge are not scheduled to begin until February - meaning villagers will have to put up with several more months of tiring travel. One woman from East Ruston told North Norfolk News: “Everybody in the village is fed up with the detour. It’s a road everyone uses and they’re not addressing the urgency of this essential bridge being closed”.

Local people say they are 'fed up' of having to travel long distances while a diversion is in place (Nick Lyons)

A local farmer meanwhile described the shutting of the bridge as "major headache", as his livelihood means he has to use the main roads often - and ends up in him getting "abuse" for holding up traffic. "If it had been in any town it would’ve been repaired in a fortnight", he added, and said it was "unfair" on local residents that the issue had not been fixed yet. A local meeting about the issue on Monday involving a bridge engineer and a representative from the county council meanwhile saw the matter of compensation ignored completely, it is claimed.

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A spokesperson for Norfolk County Council told local media: “Following a recent inspection of the bridge we became aware of a significant structural defect, potentially caused by poor ground conditions beneath the original structure. Work has been commissioned to design a replacement bridge that will remain safe in this location, which will be built as soon as possible. We are taking steps to have a new bridge constructed as swiftly as possible while guaranteeing the safety of road users for years to come.”

The Mirror contacted Norfolk County Council for comment.

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas