Romsey councillors react to lorry crashing in Greatbridge Road

As previously reported, the road was closed on Friday, May 3 after a lorry got stuck while trying to pass under the bridge.

This was the latest example, with more than 25 collisions between heavy goods vehicles and the bridge occurring in the past 19 years.

The lorry stuck on Greatbridge Road (Image: Luke Lambeth)

Cllr Mark Cooper said that Greatbridge Road is a designated lorry route. He told the Advertiser he has been trying to get the road downgraded for several years.

He said: “The reason we can’t do it, for the time being, is because it is something called a county-recognised lorry route, and the reason for that is because the junction from the M3 and A34 can become very congested, especially when there is an accident. Therefore, the road has to be maintained as a lorry route until the new junction is done.

“At which point, HCC has told me in the past, it would reconsider downgrading the A3057 from being an official lorry route. It is the pipeline, it is programmed to happen, but it is dependent on the (work at the) A34 junction to the M3.

“It is set to start within the next year or two, and frankly it can’t come soon enough. The sooner we downgrade the road through Romsey, than the better it is for the residents who won’t have to put up with wagons going up and down outside their front doors. So, I’m very keen to see that junction progressed – I’ve been trying for years to get that road downgraded, and it is conditional on the new junction.”

Test Valley Borough Councillor Janet Burnage gave her view that HCC had done all it could to stop lorries from colliding with the bridge.

She said: “There are dozens of signs and a big barrier under the road. We’ve done all we can, and we’ve had meetings with residents and HCC and British Rail and they have done everything they can to make it as safe as they can.

“Given all the warnings, it could just be that the Sat-Nav systems are causing some of the problems. It is unfortunate that Romsey is a town with two low railway bridges, and as much as we can and as much as the authorities can we have put all these warning signs up.

“We have had meetings with residents, and we’ve said exactly the same, because we have done all we can, and we don’t have any control over the sat-nav system to help guide drivers away from it.”

Cllr Nick Adams-King said: “It’s hugely frustrating that yet again a lorry has ignored all the warning signs and hit the Greatbridge Road railway bridge.  I fail to understand how the lorries miss all the warning signs, the flashing lights which warn over-height vehicles and even then get to the bridge and think they can possibly pass underneath it. 

“I will of course be asking if there is anything else we can do to stop this happening, the disruption it causes to the town isn’t acceptable in my view.  Frankly, what I think may be needed are lorry drivers who are both aware of the height of their vehicle and taken notice of the signs warning of low bridges.

“Perhaps they should be going to a well know high street optician.”