Village bridge set to reopen after bus crash

A village bridge is set to reopen later this month after a bus crash caused severe damage to the structure.

The single-decker vehicle plunged 30ft (9m) into a river when it left the road in Grosmont, near Whitby.

The crash, on 3 August, closed the Grade II-listed bridge and cut off residents and businesses from a main route.

North Yorkshire Council confirmed temporary repairs to the structure would start on 14 October and last five days.

Breeze blocks would be used to repair the damaged parapet wall.

The council said pending approval from North York Moors National Park Authority planners, permanent repairs could take place in spring.

Executive member for highways and transport, Keane Duncan, said: "As soon as the coach was removed from the stream, our highways team carried out investigations to determine the scale of repairs required.

"Some blocks were smashed when they hit the bottom of the beck and were crushed by the bus, adding complexity to the repair work required."

He added that the council would source new stone for the bridge to be permanently repaired.

Senior heritage and conservation officer at the National Park Authority, Annabel Longfield-Reeve, said skilled stonemasons would need to carry out the "proper restoration".

“This three-arch sandstone bridge is an important historic feature of Grosmont and indeed the wider National Park, but principally it serves as an essential transport link for local communities of the Esk Valley," she said.

"For this reason, the priority is to ensure the bridge is once again made safe for vehicles and pedestrians."

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