Repairs begin at Northumberland bridge with route closed

The main route from Bellingham to Kielder has closed this week for eight weeks to begin repairs to Tarset Bridge, which started on April 20.

The public notice portal states that there will be a temporary closure on the C198 Lanehead to Hareshaw.

The closure will be in place from its junction with C200 Tarset Bridge to Stannersburn, heading eastwards for 250 metres in Northumberland.

It is expected that the road will only be closed between April 20 and June 19. However, the order will remain in place until August 20.

An alternative route will be available whilst the closure is in force, being via C198, C199, B6320, A68, A6088, B6357, C200 and vice versa.

Tarset Bridge will be closed to all traffic from April 20 for eight weeks. The designated diversion route will be signed and is the only route appropriate for HGV traffic to use.

Changes may be made to the alternative routes if needed, and where possible, these changes will be signposted accordingly.

A spokesperson for Northumberland County Council said: “The council continues to invest in its highways and is carrying out essential maintenance at Tarset Bridge to safeguard its long-term integrity and reliability.

“This includes re-waterproofing and resurfacing the bridge deck, alongside enhancing protection for the existing services carried across the structure.

“We have explored different options to minimise the impact of this closure, particularly for HGV traffic, and this is the most appropriate.

“Unfortunately, it is not possible to allow traffic to use the bridge until the scheme is complete and we ask that people use the diversion route put in place to allow the work to be carried out efficiently and safely.

“We would like to thank road users for their patience while we carry out these essential works.” 

Enquiries should be made to Northumberland County Council’s contact centre on 0345 600 6400 or at https://one.network, enter the road number and road name, with reference 148442353.