Scale Lane Bridge to Close for Crucial Maintenance

The city council has announced that a footbridge spanning the River Hull will undergo closure for necessary repairs. Specifically, the Scale Lane Bridge is scheduled to close starting December 10th and remain inaccessible until the new year, enabling the replacement of bearings within its swing mechanism. During this period, the bridge will be maintained in its open configuration to facilitate the passage of shipping traffic on the river. The council stated its intention to issue additional updates regarding the bridge’s reopening timeline once the repair work commences. Garry Taylor, who serves as the assistant director for major projects, culture, and place at Hull City Council, expressed regret for any disruption caused. “Following a recent inspection of the Scale Lane Bridge, engineers identified that, due to normal wear and tear, several of the swing mechanism’s bearings need replacing,” he said. “We have been discussing the situation with a specialist contractor over the past few weeks and, while this has been going on, the bridge has remained open and safe for the public to use. “However, we are now in a situation where vessels want to use the River Hull. “By law, vessels have priority over pedestrian traffic, so the decision has been made to swing the bridge open and keep it in that position until the repairs are completed in the new year.” The bridge, which commenced operations in 2013, required six years for its construction and incurred a cost nearing £7 million. Pedestrians are permitted to remain on the bridge while it is in the process of swinging open.