Put barriers on bridges

Published on Monday 25 February 2008 21:21

Since tolls on the Erskine Bridge were abolished in March 2006, the bridge has been closed to all traffic on several occasions, in wind conditions that were far from extreme. These blanket closures were implemented due to concerns over high-sided HGVs only, causing intolerable inconvenience to regular car users.

In January, in an effort to improve this situation, temporary, but soon to be fully automated, warning signage was installed, advising closure to high-sided vehicles. On 22 February, the bridge was closed to all traffic throughout the working day, for the simple reason that drivers of high-sided HGVs were blatantly ignoring the restriction signage; no doubt the same situation pertains on the now toll-free Forth and Tay road bridges.

Surely the solution to this problem, in these conditions, is to install automated height-limiter barriers on the bridge approaches. It seems ridiculous to me that the bridge authorities should have to seek any assistance whatsoever from our overstretched police resources to enforce these HGV restrictions.

J G M CREADIE

Glen Orchy

Bishopton, Renfrewshire