THE CLOSURE of Ovingham Bridge has become so protracted as to turn the crossing into something of a local joke.

Indeed, when the two year anniversary of its closure rolled around a ‘Happy 2nd Birthday’ banner and balloons were affixed to the bridge.

But the continued closure of the bridge to traffic is no joke to the nearby businesses seeing a fall in trade or the neighbouring villages transformed into rat runs by diverted motorists.

The bridge was originally built in 1883 by the Ovingham Bridge Company.

Designed by Newcastle engineer Hubert Laws, who charged just £35 for his work, the bridge cost the princely sum of £6,650.

Construction work began in June 1883 and was opened to to the public just six months later in December.

Fast forward to the 21st century and questions were raised over the once sturdy bridge’s capacity to carry heavy modern traffic.

And in June 2013, the Department for Transport pledged funding for a full structural refurbishment with Northumberland County Council agreeing to make up the shortfall.

A £3m programme of work was designed, necessitating a 12 month closure of the bridge.

At the time senior bridge engineer for Northumberland County Council Jemma Reay reassured residents that work should only take nine months.

“The extra time helps us to deal with any unknowns,” she told a public meeting of local residents in February 2014.

The bridge was closed on June 30 2014 and its reopening was continually set back by unexpected problems uncovered beneath layers of paint.

The crossing was re-opened to traffic at 12pm on December 3, 2015. But it was shut just hours later, as Storm Desmond hit the district.

Work rumbles on to repair and re-open the bridge. The latest update from Northumberland County Council states that the bridge is due to be opened to traffic in September this year.

If the bridge does re-open in September it will have been closed for two years and three months.

This delay of 15 months has understandably provoked anger and frustration among residents.

In November, Northumberland County Council commissioned an independent review investigating the efficiency of the work.

The local authority would not comment on suggestions of contractual penalties if contractors missed the completion date. Since then little information has been forthcoming on the review.

This week a county council spokesperson said: “As with any major scheme, we were keen to review how this project was undertaken and to learn any lessons that can be applied to future projects.

“That’s why we commissioned independent analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of the scheme development and delivery.

“The council is currently in contractual discussions with one of the contractors involved in the project regarding their performance.

“These discussions are commercially confidential at this stage, but once resolved, findings of the study will be reported to the relevant council committees for their oversight and scrutiny.”