Police to enforce Marlow Bridge weight restriction
Marlow Bridge during renovation work (Archive picture).
From Wednesday 1st March 2017, for six weeks, Thames Valley Police will be enforcing the weight restriction on Marlow Bridge.
Overweight vehicles trying to cross the bridge will be issued with an advisory notice and turned around by Police officers in at attempt to stop further damage to the Grade I listed historic bridge.
Once the six week enforcement period is over Police will continue to enforce the weight restriction and issue £50 fixed penalty notices to drivers breaching traffic regulations on the bridge.
A weight and width restriction on the bridge means that vehicles under three tonnes maximum gross weight (MGW) and less than 6ft 6ins wide are banned from crossing.
The driver of the vehicle trying to cross is responsible for knowing the MGW and width of their vehicle and to ensure that they do not infringe road traffic regulations. A vehicles MGW can usually be found in the vehicle handbook, by contacting the supplying dealer or manufacturer’s website.
Whilst there are some exceptions, police are advising that typically the following vehicles should not be using the bridge:
- Range Rovers
- Land Rover Discoveries
- Ford Transit vans
- Mercedes Sprinter vans
- Volvo XC90s
- 4WD pick-ups
- Mercedes GLE/GLS/G Classes
- Audi Q7s
The number of passengers or luggage within the vehicle has no bearing on its MGW.
PS Robin Hughes from Marlow neighbourhood team said: ‘We appreciate that this activity may cause some traffic disruption in the short term however it is imperative that people understand the importance of not driving overweight vehicles on this bridge.
The weight restrictions are clearly signposted and the alternative route for vehicles that exceed this, along the A404 bypass, will add just a few minutes onto most people’s journeys.
By adhering to these simple road traffic regulations we can all help to prevent future disruption in the area for residents, visitors and commuters and ensure that this well-loved local landmark remains undamaged.‘
