SIX bridges in Dorset are deemed to be substandard, new figures by the RAC Foundation have revealed.

The motoring research charity has published a list of council-owned bridges across Britain that cannot carry the heaviest vehicles as of October.

In the Dorset Council area, six bridges were found to be below standard – around one per cent of the 809 managed by the authority.

This means they are unable to support the heaviest loads, such as lorries of up to 44 tonnes.

The council said it would ideally return two of the six to full capacity – but due to budget restrictions, does not expect to do so within the next five years. However the council also said it carries out thorough inspections to maintain safety.

The six Dorset Council bridges are:

n Foundry Lane, Bridport - maximum weight 7.5 tonnes

n Frome Lane, Maiden Newton - maximum weight 7.5 tonnes

n East Burton Road, East Burton - maximum weight 7.5 tonnes

n Next to ford, Binghams Melcombe - maximum weight 3 tonnes

n Near Bagber House Farm, Bagber, near Sturminster Newton - maximum weight 7.5 tonnes

n Colesbrook, Gillingham - maximum weight 7.5 tonnes

Cllr Ray Bryan, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said: “We are responsible for six bridges that are weight restricted, with many other bridges in the Dorset Council area where weight restrictions apply but are managed by other organisations such as Network Rail.

“Our six weight-restricted bridges are all historic and in rural locations, adding to the character of these Dorset towns and villages.

“We are not aware of any of these bridges causing local access problems, as there are alternative routes available. In some cases, weight restrictions are put in place to prevent heavy vehicles from using unsuitable roads and the route itself is restricted, not just the bridge.”

Cllr Bryan added: “The changes to bridge inspection frequency referred to in the RAC foundation report are not reflected here in Dorset. All of Dorset’s bridges are inspected once every two years by our two dedicated inspectors. They are equipped with dry suits to enable them to wade into the rivers and probe the area around the foundations for any deterioration or loss of support to the bridge.”

The research was carried out in partnership with Adept, a group representing local authority bosses responsible for transport and other sectors.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: “We might not yet be at the stage where London Bridge has fallen down, as described in the nursery rhyme, but several other bridges across the country have suffered partial or total collapses.

“At the same time there has been a worrying decline in the number of inspections carried out to examine just how much damage rivers, and the debris they carry, are doing to bridges below the waterline.

“This is storing up trouble for the future as our weather gets more extreme and traffic volumes rise again after the Covid-19 restrictions.”

Kevin Dentith, chairman of ADEPT’s national bridges group, said: “Whilst the number of substandard bridges may appear worrying there is often a good reason why a bridge falls into this category.

“It does not mean the bridge is unsafe as it will be managed by the local authority, usually by a weight limit.”

A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: “We are providing over £1.1 billion in funding to local authorities in England, outside London, for highways maintenance this year to ensure infrastructure – including bridges – are maintained effectively.”