Toll bridge closed after lorry crash

8:38am Friday 2nd November 2012 in News By Ellie Simmonds

The scene at Swinford Toll Bridge The scene at Swinford Toll Bridge

SWINFORD Toll Bridge is shut after two lorries collided. 

The lorries are wedged together on the bridge with part of one jammed underneath the other.

The road is shut in both directions and motorists are abandoning their cars. 

Comments(14)

Cathena says...
9:11am Fri 2 Nov 12

Would have thought they were big enough to see the other coming - bad road manners I suppose.

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Soxan_Pance says...
10:04am Fri 2 Nov 12

Its about time there was a width and weight restriction on this bridge. The main reason it gets congested is due to lorries having to wait for each other (although not in this instance) HGVs should be on the A40, not the toll bridge. But in many years of campaigning, nothing has happened and the residents of West Oxfordshire continue to tolerate this bottleneck.

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WitneyGreen says...
10:11am Fri 2 Nov 12

Hear hear, Soxan_Pance. The Toll Bridge is simply not suitable for large vehicles or heavy vehicles. They should be banned from using it, and the ban should be enforced (as on the Newbridge). The A40 is a perfectly good alternative for large, long and heavy vehicles.

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EMBOX1 says...
10:20am Fri 2 Nov 12

HGVs shouldn't be restricted from using Swinford toll. To do so will cost the county council (i.e. taxpayers) a stupid amount of money in an investigation, report, and then lots more road signs/clutter to tell drivers, and knowing OCC another 15 sets of traffic lights.

All it needs is for the toll bridge to charge £50 per HGV to cross. That should sort it in a matter of days.

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sparro says...
10:28am Fri 2 Nov 12

HGV driver are supposed to be professional driver, or they were in my day. Seems even these don`t care any more, what a shame. This world has become a wicked place.

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WitneyGreen says...
10:38am Fri 2 Nov 12

EMBOX1 wrote:
HGVs shouldn't be restricted from using Swinford toll. To do so will cost the county council (i.e. taxpayers) a stupid amount of money in an investigation, report, and then lots more road signs/clutter to tell drivers, and knowing OCC another 15 sets of traffic lights.

All it needs is for the toll bridge to charge £50 per HGV to cross. That should sort it in a matter of days.
Ha! I like that idea. A tax on Sat-Nav stupidity!

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Dan - Eynsham says...
10:49am Fri 2 Nov 12

Not sure it is that simple. As the bridge is privately owned with the tolls going tax-free to the owner, if OCC were to stop HGVs the owners would probably demand compensation.

However, it clearly would be in the interests of everyone apart from the bridge owner for there to be an enforced weight limit.

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kenandlou says...
11:12am Fri 2 Nov 12

Nothing to do with weight,or weather Hgv's should be banned,
This looks like a case of sheer stupidity on behalf of one of the drivers, ,thinking they could pass on such a narrow bridge,
Just Stupidity and impatience ,!!!

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Red Robbo 2 says...
11:14am Fri 2 Nov 12

Isn't it time that sense prevailed and the toll bridge was retired in favour of a new bridge built along side? The current arrangement is an iniquitable tax on motorists which only goes to line the pockets of the bridge's owners, who, by the state of the underside (which people don't see), don't spend any money on it.

The bridge is also a damned nuisance to the residents of Eynsham who have to put up with traffic chaos backing up into the village every morning and evening.

Come on David Cameron - half is in your constituency - DO SOMETHING. The cost of a new bridge would certainly be less than the money spent on lawyers' fees in the West Coast main line fiasco.

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JOHN WERRELL & SON LTD says...
12:31pm Fri 2 Nov 12

As a responsible haulage company that has been operating since 1926 out of Wootton, Boars Hill, Oxford we have encountered many restrictions/red tape on routes to Witney and surrounding areas.

Putting a width / weight restriction on the Swinford toll bridge would only limit HGV vehicles to use the A40 which is already and traffic ridden, accident prone route. It would also cause extra mileage for vehicles causing more damage to an already high carbon footprint.

If a plated weight restriction was put on the Swinford toll bridge (the most cost effective route) it would mean that buses and 7.5t vehicles could still use it when they are the same width as an articulated 44t vehicle. Therefore, if a width restriction was put on the bridge public transport would also be restricted from using it.

As a member of the Fair Fuel campaign I would draw your attention to the 3p per litre fuel increase that the government are looking to implement as of January 2013. Here’s the link http://action.fairfu
eluk.com/Stop3pRise

Surely asking vehicles to travel more distance is uneconomical in these austere times.

The responsibilty of the Swinford Toll Bridge surely now lies in the hands of it's owner who should be forced to either widen the bridge or put traffic managment at either side.

Perhaps now some divine intervention from PM David Cameron (as it is his constituency) is called for.

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EMBOX1 says...
4:57pm Fri 2 Nov 12

Sorry Mr. HGV operator, I'm with you on the 3p/litre fuel increase but the fact is that Swinford toll is an old bridge.

There should be a new bridge there is no way it will happen, its too expensive. We need another bridge over the Thames near Abingdon, but likewise there is no chance of one being built.

There needs to be less HGVs on the road, and more on rail - HGVs should link the last few miles of a journey, not do the whole lot. What can your business do to reduce the use of HGVs? Use smaller, more economic vehicles, maybe?

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faatmaan says...
8:42pm Fri 2 Nov 12

why not have width sensors or road narrowing blocks inserted into the roads leading up to the bridge, that way only vehickes narrow enough to proceed will get through, and sensors could stop the simultaneous meeting of any over size vehicles by means of a basic light signalling system, also remember if there are any accidents on or near the bridge there would be few tolls collected anyway. The covenant to the best of my knowledge does not cover the type of vehicles allowed on the bridge, as this status was granted long before the advent of the modern vehicle, i may be wrong,,,,,,,,,but i'm sure one or more of you will correct me. Have a good weekend all !

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Mark222 says...
7:28am Sat 3 Nov 12

They just need a toll booth Oxford side therefore removing traffic queuing on the bridge and also reducing Q's Enysham side as larger vehicles are not waiting to pass for as long.

As a ex recovery driver from this area I'm sure you guys would love to wait an extra hour or so for a HGV to make to round trip to pick you up?!

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Cathena says...
9:06am Sat 3 Nov 12

Maybe traffic lights - like Clifton Hampden but the bridge owner would have to have someone to help collect the charge.

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