Clifton Suspension Bridge traffic down to one lane for two weeks

Traffic using the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol will be down to one lane for the next two weeks following the closure due to a safety scare.

Temporary traffic lights have been put in and experts were due to carry out further checks today for signs of corrosion or cracks.

The bridge was closed for almost 24 hours after a member of the public noticed one of the 162 vertical wrought iron rods had cracked.

Bridge master Dave Anderson said the bridge had been reduced to one lane to limit the weight on the structure, which carries about 1,000 vehicles during every rush hour.

He said he didn't expect the move to cause major delays for motorists and said traffic travelling over the bridge during the morning rush hour was light because of the school holidays.

Mr Anderson said: "We have a few meetings before we know exactly what the programme will be for getting the bridge repaired. But we are hoping to get a new rod manufactured and installed as soon as we can – it will take two weeks.

"We don't think it will cause too many problems. People are used to traffic lights being used during roadworks and we don't expect tremendously long queues here.

"We need to do further analysis to find out how the crack has formed but it's all to do with the loads on the rods and the fact the rods are very old.

"We haven't had anything like this happen for many years but it can happen on old bridges and the components can fail. It's not usually a major problem because it's easy to replace them."

Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians travelling across the bridge yesterday morning said they understood why the decision had been taken to close one lane of the bridge.

Optometrist Caroline Foster, 35, who was driving to work from Clifton to Weston-super-Mare, said: "Whatever they have to do to ensure the safety of the bridge is fine by me. As long as it's open that's OK, it's more convenient to use the bridge than to go the long way around."

Cyclist Dave Sealy, 29, who was travelling from Clifton to work in Abbots Leigh, said: "It's probably a good idea that they do all the relevant checks. I'm a mechanical engineer so I understand what needs to be done."

Pedestrian Jenny King, 20, who lives in Pill, said: "I leave the car on the Abbot's Leigh side of the bridge and I walk in to my job at a deli in Clifton.

"I got stuck on the Clifton side of the bridge on Saturday because I'd left my car on the other side. I had to get my dad to come and pick me up. I guess they are doing what they have to do."