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Villagers’ frustration at bridge damage

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By Abbey Morton
Annan and Eskdale
Villagers’ frustration at bridge damage

JUST weeks after being repaired, Powfoot Bridge has been whacked by a vehicle once again.

And frustration is growing in the village as residents and businesses work hard to mitigate the risk.

Mike Rodger, who lives near the structure, claims around one in 20 lorries strike the old, stone bridge, and puts it down to carelessness.

He said: “Earlier this year it was struck by a local lorry – it really clobbered the bridge, it really did hit it.

“It was reported to the council and they sent a team out and agreed that something needed to be done and they would action it.

“The work was completed about three or four weeks ago, they really did quite a lot of extensive work to it.

“Then earlier this week a lorry heading to the caravan park went over, and he was going at quite a rate of knots.

“It was like he was driving a bumper car at the fair.

“He hit the front right side of the bridge first, then bounced and hit the far left side.

“A big piece of stone came off – it’s quite heavy – and there’s paint on the side of the bridge.

“The caravan park have been very good in making sure that when a caravan arrives they are escorted over the bridge.

“They feel a sense of frustration, I feel sorry for them.”

Mr Rodger also said the driver was asked by the caravan park to wait until his company had been contacted, but he left.

He added: “It is just carelessness. You can get over that bridge without hitting it, the majority of vehicles do.

“In fact, a Jewson lorry comes about three or four times a week and he has never hit it.”

He also commented that the approach to the bridge from the Cummertrees side is quite tight and larger vehicles are not able to straighten up.

And he added that there are no ‘narrow bridge’ warning signs or markings to encourage people to driver slower than the 30mph which applies across the whole village.

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