Hauliers are urging repairs on a bridge in South Wales are completed as soon as possible after HGVs were banned from using it and forced on a detour.
Newport City Council said surveys of the George Street Bridge had revealed evidence of degradation of concrete.
It said it needed to reduce the load on the bridge, which crosses the River Usk in the city, and so it introduced a 7.5-tonne weight restriction on 1 August.
The council added that the ban would remain in place pending further investigations and it was unable to put a time limit on it.
“While we continue our investigations, we are satisfied that the bridge is safe to use for traffic under the 7.5-tonne weight, so residents and commuters who use the bridge will be unaffected by these restrictions,” the council said.
“A diversion route for HGVs will be put in place. This will be via Usk Way, the A48 SDR, and Corporation Road.”
The RHA confirmed that it had been made aware of the ban and that although hauliers understood it was for safety reasons, they needed it fixed urgently.
An RHA spokesman said local hauliers were already under pressure, relying on a road network that was long overdue investment.
Rhys Williams, RHA regional operations manager, said: “We understand the need for the repairs and we’d urge that the repairs are completed as soon as possible.
“Delays and detours have economic consequences. As things stand, hauliers in South Wales are already dealing with the burden of increased journey times and costs with weight limits being imposed due to a road network in need of long overdue investment.
“With some parts of the current road network wholly unfit for purpose, extra strain is being placed on hauliers in South Wales, and in turn, the Welsh economy,” he added.
