HGV tries to cross Grade 1 listed bridge
Once again, a Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) Driver has fallen foul of following their satellite navigation system and got stuck on the Radcot bridge in Oxfordshire. As a result, the A4095 was blocked for several hours while work was taken to recover the vehicle.
Radcot Bridge, just north of Faringdon, in Oxfordshire, on the A4095 was originally opened in 1200AD and rebuilt extensively in 1393, just after the War of the Roses and is the oldest bridge still standing that crosses the river Thames. Radcot bridge is actually a series of three bridges spanning the river and canal and is Grade 1 listed.
This is not the first time a HGV has got stuck or caused damage to the bridge. In September 2022 a driver of a HGV had to reverse off the bridge, after realising they could not proceed. Luckily the driver realised his error and the inability, due to the vehicle size, to fit over the narrow old stone bridge. Video footage from the scene showed the HGV reversing slowly off the canal section of the bridge and observing a long line of cars waiting to cross the bridge.
In January 2017 a HGV became stuck on the canal section of the bridge and previously in August 2015 the same section of the bridge had also been struck by a HGV.
The use of route optimisation software to develop delivery routes for certain types of vehicles is crucial for avoiding this type of error. Descartes' delivery scheduling and route optimisation software will calculate routes for all vehicle types, from push bikes and electric vans to rigid and articulated HGVs, and will select the best vehicle from the fleet for each delivery.
