Worcestershire had several substandard bridges unfit for the heaviest vehicles on its roads at the end of 2021, according to new figures.

Out of 815 bridges in the area, Worcestershire County Council identified five which were unable to carry the heaviest vehicles regularly using highways including lorries up to 44 tonnes.

These bridges are:

  • Porters Mill, Ladywood
  • Mildenham Mill Canal Bridge, Ladywood
  • Powick Old Bridge
  • Houghtonpole, near Cleobury Mortimer
  • and Dumbleton Bridge, near Lindridge.

The RAC Foundation said the threat of more severe weather due to climate change could lead to dangerous collapses on Great Britain's highways and has urged councils to address unsuitable bridges.

Bridges may be deemed substandard because they were built to earlier design standards, while others have deteriorated through age and use.

Many are subject to weight restrictions, while others are under programmes of increased monitoring or even managed decline.

In 2016, Eastham Bridge in Tenbury collapsed as two school transport mini-buses carrying children from Lindridge St Lawrence School attempted to cross.

Read More: Close call for children after Eastham Bridge, Tenbury, collapse

Across Great Britain, local authorities assessed 3,211 substandard bridges at the end of last year – up from 3,105 the year before and the highest number since 2017.

It means 4.5% of bridges nationally are deemed unsuitable and it is estimated it would cost £4.2 billion to restore them.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "We are providing more than £5 billion of investment over 2020 to 2025 for highways maintenance to local highways authorities across England, including for the repair and maintenance of bridges.

"It is up to councils to decide how they use highways maintenance funding, based on their own needs and priorities."

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: "Even the failure of the shortest of these structures could mean a five-foot-long gap in the carriageway, and even on relatively minor roads that can still be a headache, causing disruption and possibly a long diversion.”

The RAC Foundation analysis is based on data provided by 196 councils in response to freedom of information requests.

Of the local authorities with more than 100 bridges, Oxfordshire has the greatest proportion deemed substandard (28%), while Devon has the highest total number of substandard bridges – 229 out of 2,714 (8%).