Man arrested after vehicle crashes into historic Kendal bridge
Nether bridge was closed overnight and permanent repairs could take months, the council say
Last updated 19th Jun 2026
A man has been arrested after a vehicle crashed into a historic bridge in Kendal overnight (17 June).
Police say a vehicle was being driven the wrong way along Highgate and Kirkland at around 12.50am before crashing into Nether Bridge.
A man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and failing to provide a roadside breath test. He remains in custody.
The crash caused significant damage to the bridge's parapet wall, forcing it to close.
Some of the bridge's stonework was also knocked into river below it.
Westmorland and Furness Council has since confirmed the bridge has reopened to traffic following emergency repair work.
The footway remains closed however and safety barriers have been put up.
The council says permanent repairs could take a number of months because specialist heritage work is needed.
A Westmorland and Furness Council spokesperson said: "Nether Bridge is a Scheduled Ancient Monument spanning the River Kent, which has both Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation environmental designations.
"The next stage of works will be to recover what we can of the heritage stonework that has been knocked into the river in the accident, so that this can be reused in the repair where possible.
"This will require the necessary Habitat Regulations Assessment surveys and reports and permissions from Natural England before the specialist underwater contractor can go into the river."