§ Mr. Penhaligonasked the Minister of Transport whether 40-tonne and 44-tonne lorries, as proposed in the EEC draft directive, would be permitted to cross the Severn and Forth bridges, respectively, under their current weight restrictions.
§ Mr. FowlerThere are no current weight restrictions on Severn and Forth bridges which affect vehicles complying with the Construction and Use Regulations, travelling in any sort of traffic mix which may arise.
The effects of the EEC proposal on bridges in general are discussed in the Armitage report, which was published yesterday.
As stated in the report, vehicles of 44 tonnes gross weight, with appropriate individual axle weights and spacing, would be acceptable on United Kingdom bridges, including the Severn and the Forth. However 40-tonne vehicles as proposed in the EEC directive have axle loadings which make them unacceptable for general use in the United Kingdom.