A Herefordshire bridge is ‘closed until further notice’ following an incident involving a HGV this morning.
Whitney Toll Bridge in Herefordshire will be closed until a safety check can be conducted.
A post on social media said:
“Toll Bridge closed until further notice.
“We are conducting safety checks after another HGV incident.
“This one is a significant one.”
Whitney Bridge is a major part of social history in the UK. It was built in the late 1770s, during the reign of George III whilst William Pitt the Younger was Prime Minister.
To help with the increasing costs incurred for repairing and maintaining roads and bridges, parliament introduced the Turnpike Acts, authorising a trust to levy tolls on those using the roads and bridges, and to use that toll income to repair and improve the roads and infrastructure, hence supporting economic growth.
Whilst there were 1000s of toll roads and bridges in the 1700s, Whitney Bridge today is one of only eight privately owned toll bridges still operating in much the same way as it has for almost 250 years.
The bridge is still governed by its original 1774 Act of Parliament and fees are still governed by the Secretary of State for Transport and can only be changed with amendments to that Act of Parliament.
The toll income today is still used to maintain the bridge and ensure the structural integrity of this ancient monument. As the bridge gets older, the need to increase funds to secure its future is intensified.
Therefor in the past few years Whitney Bridge has diversified with the times and now offers glamping facilities, canoe hire and camping.
