Hurricane winds are forecast this weekend with Storm Ciara expected to hit the UK from Saturday. With winds of up to 80mph forecast, this could result in the Humber Bridge closing to all users for only the second time in its history.
As the storm hits and the wind increases, it is likely that the bridge will also be closed to high sided and vulnerable vehicles for a period over the weekend. The strong winds will also mean it is likely that the bridge will also close the footways as well.
Andrew Arundel, Head of Engineering and Infrastructure at the Humber Bridge, said the Humber Bridge Board’s number one priority is for the safety of all bridge users and that any decision to close will not be taken lightly. He said:
“If the extremely high winds, such as those predicted do hit the region this weekend, we will have no choice but to close the bridge entirely.
“This is the only way of safeguarding everyone and ensuring there are no accidents due to the severe weather.
“We understand this is an inconvenience to people, particularly those planning to travel over the weekend, but when winds reach these levels, we have no choice.
“Hopefully, the storm will pass fairly quickly, and we’ll look to resume business as usual at the earliest opportunity.”
For updates on the Humber Bridge status, to go the Humber Bridge website, Facebook or Twitter.
