Whitby Swing Bridge shut for urgent works to tackle problems

A North Yorkshire councillor has spoken to The Press today (Monday, June 29) in the wake of the latest closure of Whitby Swing Bridge.

Last weekend, as reported in The Press, the bridge failed due to high temperatures caused by the expansion of metallic parts with the council saying it can become stuck during swing operations.

This led to an impromptu closure and warning from the police over people ignoring the closure signs.

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North Yorkshire Council said a team of bridge and highways experts will work through tonight to try and resolve the issues that stop it from closing properly.

A council spokesperson said the work will require a full road closure from 6pm tomorrow until 2am on Wednesday of this week.

North Yorkshire Council’s assistant director for highways and infrastructure, Barrie Mason, said: “We fully appreciate the impact this issue is having on the town, its residents, businesses and visitors and we will do everything we can to get to the bottom of it as quickly as possible.

 “The structure is inspected every three months, but for this particular programme we will be looking for, and removing, any build-up of corrosion on the deck ends.

 “Normally the function of the swing bridge’s own opening and closing would naturally remove any rust building up as the two sides move.

“The extremes of heat we have seen may well have impacted on this, so we will be looking for any signs of that.”

The structure was completed in 1908 and opened a year later to allow traffic and pedestrians to cross between the east and west of the town over the River Esk, whilst also allowing vessels to pass along the navigable channel.

Over the years, the bridge has seen increasing footfall and demands on its engineering and heritage, which has led to impromptu closure.

North Yorkshire Council publishes a list of scheduled bridge closures – except for buses – to improve pedestrian safety over 13 weekends and two Bank Holiday Mondays in 2026.

The Whitby Swing Bridge was constructed in 1908 and opened a year later – the council are set to put in new light-coloured high-friction surfacing to try to reduce heat build up (Image: Kevin Glenton)

The council said a shuttle bus will run between 6pm tonight and 11.59pm tomorrow.

Mr Mason added: ““

Some noise is to be expected, and there may be a delay in starting if the bridge is too warm, but we are committed to sorting it out.

“In the near future, we are also looking to put in some light-coloured high friction surfacing as a further measure to reduce heat build-up.

“I want to thank everyone for their patience and reassure them we are taking this very seriously.

“While we do this, we ask that people don’t take unnecessary risks and respect the closure.”

North Yorkshire Council said Whitby Swing Bridge is set to undergo urgent works to try and solve issues with unforeseen closures (Image: North Yorkshire Council)

Councillor Neil Swannick, who represents the Whitby Streonshalh division on North Yorkshire Council, which includes the town harbour said the swing bridge closure is not a new occurrence and there’s a degree of recognition locally that it’s a problem which is not easy to fix.

He said: “There has been varied number of reasons in recent years for the closure.

“Primarily because of health and safety issues over too many people and too much traffic at the same time, and the bridge closing at peak time.

“The question is where do we go from here? A new bridge is not an option so we’ll have to deal with the here and now.”

The councillor said North Yorkshire Council will always try to get the bridge working as soon as possible but said there’s always a problem of getting staff and customers around the town to their shops and offices when the bridge is closed because it’s a long way round to take the next bridge upstream in the town which is the A171 New Bridge, just under a mile away.

The council did provide shuttle buses last weekend but the bridge was still being used, prompting the police warning.

Engineers have identified that the black road surface is absorbing too much heat, causing the bridge to expand.

This expansion then leads to the bridge’s swinging sections interfering with each other and the edges of each section when opening and closing.

In response, engineers will test a new light-coloured surfacing, expected to reflect the sun’s rays, thereby reducing the thermal build-up and expansion.

Cllr Swannick said: “We are up against problems inherent in keeping a 116-year-old bridge working in times when climate change is creating extreme conditions, which were not anticipated when the bridge was built.

“I am hopeful that the plan to cover the black tarmac with a light-coloured high-friction surfacing this summer will at least reduce the number of mechanical problems and that, if this plan works, the job can be completed out of season.”

The issue of overheating is not unique to Whitby Swing Bridge, as other swing bridge owners frequently encounter similar problems, he added.