Bad weather delays Yorkshire Dales bridge reopening 

The final stages of repair work to a flood-hit bridge in the Yorkshire Dales have been delayed due to recent bad weather.

Cogden South bridge, on the C106 near Grinton Moor, was scheduled to reopen at the end of January but has been extended to February 17.  It was one of two bridges destroyed by catastrophic flooding in 2019. Cogden North bridge, on the B6270 Richmond to Grinton road, reopened in November.

County Councillor Yvonne Peacock, member for the Upper Dales, said: “The reopening of Cogden South is highly-anticipated in the Dales as it is a vital link to our rural communities. I would like to thank our highways teams for working tirelessly over the last few months.  The unforeseen heavy snow and rainfall has hampered the progress. However, please be assured that we are doing everything we can to get the bridge reopened as soon as possible.”

The new bridge is in position with final kerb works, drainage and resurfacing left to be completed. The site needs to be cleared and surrounding land reinstated. 

The stone in the original bridge was destroyed during the floods. The new bridge has been constructed from sandstone and sourced to match the previous appearance and features of the old bridge as much as possible.

The stone arch has been reinforced and the bridge span is wider than the original which will ensure the bridge is more resilient against future floods.

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Access, added: “Our highways teams have done a great job in building this new bridge and replicating so many features of the old one, at the same time as providing a structure which is much stronger and wider.

"In view of the slight delay in final completion, we will keep members of the public updated during the final days of the work. We ask everyone to be patient and under no circumstances to move the safety fencing in order to attempt to cross the bridge.”