Every two minutes an overweight vehicle attempts to cross Marlow Bridge, according to early results of a Thames Valley Police traffic survey. The heaviest vehicle turned away in the first week of the survey was 10 metric tonnes.
As all residents will be aware(!), Marlow Bridge is a Grade 1 listed structure and vehicles crossing it are limited to three tonnes maximum gross weight (MGW) and less than 6ft 6ins wide.
Since Wednesday 1 March 2017, overweight vehicles trying to cross the bridge have been turned around by officers and issued with an advisory notice. From 1st April, Thames Valley Police will enforce the weight restriction and issue £50 fixed penalty notices to drivers breaching this traffic regulation
“It appears people think the weight restriction doesn’t apply to them,” Mayor Bob Johnson said. “I suggest people check the weight of their vehicles before planning their route. The closure of the bridge last year caused considerable inconvenience for residents and visitors and difficulties for local businesses. We must look after our historic bridge and avoid problems in the future.”
Thames Valley Police point out that to find out the maximum gross weight of a vehicle, people can check box F1 on their vehicle registration document (log book).
