Lorry hits railway bridge on major road into Northwich
The collision occurred shortly before 3.45pm on Saturday, September 9, when the heavy goods vehicle caught the underside of the bridge on the A559, close to the Iron Bridge pub and the junction with Moss Road.
The A559, which is the main route into the town from the west, was closed by police for several hours while debris scattered across the carriageway and hanging from the bridge was safely removed.
The driver was unhurt, and there were no reports of other injuries, but the road did not open until around 7pm after engineers from Network Rail had arrived on site to ensure the bridge was still safe.
The railway bridge carries a small branch line to Tata Chemicals in Winnington (Image: Supplied)
The bridge carries a short branch line running between the Chester to Manchester mainline and the Tata Chemicals site in Winnington.
A spokesman for Cheshire Police said: “At 3.45pm on Saturday, September 9, police were called to reports that an HGV had collided with a railway bridge on the A559, Chester Road.
“The vehicle was too high to pass through.
“Officers attended and there were no reports of any injuries, however there was a large amount of debris on the road and hanging from the bridge.
“A road closure was in place until a structural assessment had been undertaken by Network Rail.
“The incident was passed on to Cheshire West and Chester Council at 8pm.”
A Network Rail spokesman said: “Road users faced needless delays on Saturday after a heavy goods vehicle hit a railway bridge on Chester Road, Northwich.
“We immediately sent someone to the scene to inspect the bridge and fortunately there was no structural damage meaning the road could re-open.
“Bridge strikes like this cost taxpayers millions of pounds every year and can be completely avoided.
“We urge drivers to always know the height and size of their vehicles – including any loads they are carrying – and to carefully plan their routes so our infrastructure isn’t put at risk in this way.”