A CHARITY has been left with an eyewatering bill after a lorry crashed into a bridge and left it in pieces.

The canal bridge, in Offerton Lane, is owned by The Canal and River Trust and has been left in pieces five times since 2011. 

The latest accident happened on Wednesday (October 30) evening when a Marshall's of Evesham lorry reversed into it. 

(Image: Daniel Kelly)

Each crash has left the charity with a bill of between £20,000 and £30,000 resulting in The Canal and River Trust shelling out more than £150,000 since 2011. 

(Image: Daniel Kelly)

Following the incident an engineer for the charity spent Thursday (October 31) at the site and spoke with nearby residents.

The engineer said the bridge has a 10-tonne weight limit and it appears the driver may have been attempting to turn around upon realising the weight restriction. 

The charity now believes the weight limit was a factor in the latest strike.

Work to repair the bridge following a crash in June 2023 had only finished a couple of months prior and residents have been left upset by the situation. 

(Image: Daniel Kelly)

One resident said: "It was a Marshalls of Evesham lorry and it hit the bridge on the passenger side at around 7.20pm. 

"It is the fourth time this has happened and it went over the new girder that was recently installed, so it's good to see that that worked. 

"There were loads of cars as it was reversing back over the bridge. 

"It was loaded with pallets and I think it had an escort vehicle with it. 

"I didn't see it actually hit but there was quite a loud bang and there was certainly a lot of damage to the truck."

A spokesperson for Marshall's Transport said it would do everything in its power to resolve the issue. 

The spokesperson said:  "On Wednesday night, one of our vehicles was involved in a collision with a bridge in Offerton Lane.

"Our mechanics attended the scene to assist with recovery.

“We reported the incident to The Canal Trust yesterday morning [Thursday] and are awaiting further direction from them.

“We are very apologetic for the damage and inconvenience caused and will do everything within our power to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”

Bridge strikes which have caused significant damage and impacted the bridge's structure have happened on the following dates: 

  • March 7 2011
  • June 5 2014
  • February 25 2022 
  • June 7 2023
  • October 30 2024 

(Image: Daniel Kelly)

Henriette Breukelaar, director for the West Midlands at Canal & River Trust, said: “It’s deeply frustrating to see yet another vehicle strike at Offerton Bridge, which not only damages an important piece of local heritage but also causes costly and time-consuming repairs.

"Each incident like this places a strain on our charity’s resources that could otherwise go towards maintaining and enhancing our canal network for the benefit of local communities.

"We urge drivers to be mindful of bridge heights, to abide by bridge weight limits and to check these restrictions when planning routes, taking extra care to prevent further incidents.

"The Canal & River Trust remains committed to preserving these historical structures, and we thank the local community for their patience as we work to repair the bridge.”

No current information is known about when work to fix the bridge will begin and finish but work is likely to take months.