Newport railway bridge is struck about three times a year and near misses, which cause very similar disruption and damage, as the big trucks can’t reverse out, are happening about once a month. The main cause is misleading signs for the diversion.
I have made a detailed application to Essex Highways for a complete upgrade for the signs and funding for this was agreed by the Local Highways Panel last month. It will be a complete replacement of signs at 17 locations through Newport and around the diversion routes. It will make them accurate, and compulsory round signs will replace the current advisory triangles. I believe this will be implemented this financial year.
It may not stop all the strikes but I think we’ll see a significant reduction. The project does not however include repainting the yellow and black stripes, but Essex have asked for the Uttlesford Rangers to clear the vegetation. Essex will also be fixing the long broken warning sign on the north side. As lots of people will be up the bridge doing things I requested that they also clean the green gunge off the north side to make the stripes more visible. This request, made twice, has been met with silence, so I suspect Essex have never before been asked to clean a railway bridge.