Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Hinckley and Bosworth, has once again raised the issue of the Watling Street bridge and reiterated the need for improvements to the A5 in the House of Commons.
The day after a lorry hit the infamous Watling Street bridge on the A5 in Hinckley, local MP Dr Evans bought the attention of Parliament to the regularity of bridge strikes being every two weeks which makes the Watling Street bridge one of the most bashed bridges in Britain.
The A5 ground to a halt on Wednesday 9th October when a lorry hit the Watling Street bridge in the morning rush hour and caused motorists to find alternative ways around the road closure. Traffic was rediverted around Hinckley and surrounding villages such as Higham on the Hill, Wykin and Burbage.
Dr Evans was speaking on a Parliamentary question of road safety when he said “In Hinckley, we have one of the most bashed bridges in Britain; it gets hit every two weeks on average. It is on the A5, which also has some black spots for accidents and pinch points.
“Will the Secretary of State arrange for a meeting between me and the Roads Minister to talk about how we can get through the improvements that have been looked at for the last few years to ensure that our bridges are not hit and that we do not have black spots on the A5?”
Louise Haigh, Secretary of State for Transport, responded “I am grateful to the Member for Hinckley and Bosworth for raising that important issue. It is clear, with stats like those, that it needs some attention. I am sure that the Roads Minister will be happy to meet him.”
Research conducted by Midlands Connect in 2023 found that delays on the A5 cost the economy an estimated £126,000 for road users, and around £40,000 for journey delays for rail passengers.
Dr Luke Evans, Member of Parliament for Hinckley and Bosworth, said “Every time the Watling Street bridge is hit, Hinckley, Higham on the Hill, Wykin and Burbage become a rat run, putting even more pressure on the roads in our town and villages.
“I took the opportunity in the House of Commons to reiterate the issue with the Watling Street bridge and the need for improvements to the A5 with the new Transport Secretary.
“I raised these issues so frequently with the preceding Roads Minister that whenever she saw me, she’d say ‘you’re here to talk about the A5 again, aren’t you?!’ I intend to gain a similar reputation with the new Roads Minister.
“Work to find a solution to this issue has been ongoing for many years and with a project underway to relieve this issue, we are making progress. I will continue to follow this up, both locally and down in Westminster, and hope to share more information soon.”
