River Hull traffic halted after fault found on Scale Lane Bridge

MECHANICAL FAULT: Scale Lane Bridge

EXCLUSIVE

By Angus Young

Marine traffic has been suspended on the River Hull after a mechanical fault was discovered on the Scale Lane footbridge.

Opened in 2013, the iconic bridge is designed to rotate to allow large vessels to pass underneath.

Likened to a giant flipper on a pinball machine, the design also allows pedestrians to remain on the structure as it moves.

However, bridge movements have been temporarily put on hold after a routine inspection raised safety concerns.

That in turn has led to a ban on larger boats accessing the river from the Humber or entering the estuary from the north. Pedestrians can still safely use the crossing between the Old Town and the East Bank.

It is believed an inspection carried out two months ago found a number of bolts had sheared on the mechanism involved in the rotation process.

According to one source, the discovery also came shortly after the expiry of the bridge’s original warranty period.

A spokesman for Hull City Council said: “During a routine inspection of the Scale Lane footbridge, a mechanical fault was identified.

“Following this, specialist engineers and the bridge’s original designers conducted a detailed investigation of the fault.

“The council is now working with a contractor to schedule the necessary repair works and will announce the dates for these repairs once they are confirmed.

“In the meantime, the bridge remains safe for pedestrian use but will stay closed to river traffic until the mechanical fault is fixed.”

The breakdown is the latest in a series involving bridges across the River Hull.

Earlier this year Drypool Bridge was the subject of an emergency closure after some of its load-bearing concrete columns were found to have suffered rapid deterioration.

Although the bridge subsequently re-opened, repairs costing around £7m have been identified with the council hoping to secure government funding to carry out the work.

Meanwhile, Sculcoates Bridge has been closed to traffic since late 2020 with no schedule yet confirmed for repairs to be carried out on the listed structure.

Councillors have been told it could be at least three years before the Victorian era bridge re-opens.

Labour Councillor Patrick Wilkinson, shadow portfolio holder for transport, raised the issue of the Scale Lane bridge at a recent scrutiny commission meeting.

He said: “I am quite frankly amazed that in a city divided by a river, the council and this Liberal Democrat administration have allowed our bridges to get into such a state.

“Scale Lane Bridge is one of many closures this year as a result of neglect and no forward planning. The administration needs to get a grip before something disastrous happens.”