Parts of Worcester Bridge will not be recovered from riverbed after police crash
The historic bridge was damaged when a police car crashed through parapets on March 3 and was pictured dangling above the river
Parts of Worcester Bridge at the bottom of the River Severn will not be recovered from the riverbed, it has been decided.
The historic bridge was damaged when a police car crashed through parapets on March 3 and was pictured dangling above the river.
West Mercia Police later said the crash was caused by a loose laptop that became lodged in the car’s steering column, but after reviewing the crash decided the officer driving the car would face no misconduct action.
Worcestershire County Council said it plans to carry out the repairs in November.
A spokesperson said: “Surveys have been carried out on the stone masonry that fell into the river.
“While it is not possible to fully assess the condition of the submerged stone, evidence from inspections suggests that much of it is likely to have been damaged, similar to the dislodged stone that remained on the bridge structure.
“Based on these findings, it has been decided not to recover the stone from the river. Surveys have confirmed that the debris does not pose a risk to river users or to the bridge itself.
“Recovering the material would involve significant cost and would require specialist lifting equipment, resulting in the bridge being closed for several days while the operation was carried out.”
The council said it is trying to “source specialist stone and prepare it to match the bridge’s existing stonework as closely as possible” but will use existing stone wherever possible.
Listed building consent has now been granted for “masonry repairs to the northern parapet” of the bridge by Worcester City Council.
Tor Pingree, county councillor for the Riverside division in Worcester, had been chasing answers from the council’s highways department.
She said: “The last work that took place on the bridge took a couple of years – it’s in a conservation area and specialist stonemasons will be needed.”