Wrenbury lift bridge out of action

[Norm55]

Just when you thought at least the Llangollen is still in business, the electric lift bridge at Wrenbury is out after a vehicle hit it, update on Monday. 

 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

12 hours ago, Norm55 said:

Just when you thought at least the Llangollen is still in business, the electric lift bridge at Wrenbury is out after a vehicle hit it, update on Monday. 

 

Towpath rumour suggests there may be an engineer coming to look at it later today. 

It appears that an idiot motorist ran the flashing red lights and smashed one of the barriers as it came down. The bridge still functions, but can't be opened to boats without working barriers at each end.  

[Tonka]

6 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Towpath rumour suggests there may be an engineer coming to look at it later today. 

It appears that an idiot motorist ran the flashing red lights and smashed one of the barriers as it came down. The bridge still functions, but can't be opened to boats without working barriers at each end.  

Car drivers wouldn't see that the bridge is up without barriers makes you wonder if they should be driving

[Jen-in-Wellies]

22 minutes ago, Tonka said:

Car drivers wouldn't see that the bridge is up without barriers makes you wonder if they should be driving

Nothing would surprise me! If they didn't see the flashing lights, they won't see that the bridge deck isn't there and they are about to crash in to a narrowboat. 

[Chris Lowe]

Same mentality as those who run through railway level crossings.

[Ken X]

We had a similar event on the Leeds and Liverpool a few years back. Car ignored the swing bridge lights and klaxon then beat the falling barrier on the entry side. Unfortunately the exit barrier was faster. 🙂

 

We now had a closed bridge with a car on it.

 

It was very tempting to swing the bridge complete with car but we figured somebody might get the hump.

 

Having left him there for a minute or two to contemplate his error, we reversed the operation and freed him. Funnily enough he drove off without any eye contact. 😀

[David Mack]

11 hours ago, Ken X said:

It was very tempting to swing the bridge complete with car but we figured somebody might get the hump.

I would have been VERY tempted to do that!

Worth sacrificing a CRT key for to leave the bridge open and just boat away (especially if its one of those bridges which pivots on the offside but with the control kiosk on the towpath side).

Edited September 7, 2025 by David Mack

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Two very nice guys working on it today (Sunday). The barrier is back on, but the motorisation isn't satisfactory yet. They operated the bridge manually to let the clots of boats each side through. Still a stoppage, but quicker progress than I was expecting. 

[Llamedos]

On 06/09/2025 at 09:48, Jen-in-Wellies said:

It appears that an idiot motorist ran the flashing red lights and smashed one of the barriers as it came down.

Hopefully a satisfyingly expensive dent in his/her car.
 

A car smashed into my neighbours van the other night outside our house. His excuse to my neighbour… “sorry mate I was looking at my phone.” 

[Jen-in-Wellies]

4 minutes ago, Llamedos said:

Hopefully a satisfyingly expensive dent in his/her car.
 

Hopefully the culprit is known, so CaRT can claim on their insurance. 

[NB Saturn]

39 minutes ago, Llamedos said:

Hopefully a satisfyingly expensive dent in his/her car.
 

A car smashed into my neighbours van the other night outside our house. His excuse to my neighbour… “sorry mate I was looking at my phone.” 

 

so that should be 6 penalty points for using a phone whilst driving, plus another three for not being in control of the vehicle.

[Llamedos]

23 minutes ago, NB Saturn said:

 

so that should be 6 penalty points for using a phone whilst driving, plus another three for not being in control of the vehicle.

Well the police were called. Breathalysed him - negative. They were told he was on his phone. Hopefully he’ll get what he deserves - idiot. 

Edited September 7, 2025 by Llamedos

[MrsM]

1 hour ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Hopefully the culprit is known, so CaRT can claim on their insurance. 

Do they actually do this? I sincerely hope so.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

1 hour ago, MrsM said:

Do they actually do this? I sincerely hope so.

Heard of it happening, particularly with bridge strikes, which cost CaRT a fortune fixing.

See this newspaper report with a CaRT spokesbod saying they do, if they can trace the driver.

https://www.expressandstar.com/your-world/2025/06/26/drivers-urged-to-take-care-as-collision-damages-historic-dimmingsdale-canal-bridge/

Must be particularly annoying as it tends to be the same bridges over and over again. 

[MrsM]

That's good. I sincerely hope they do as it doesn't sit right to think of scarce CRT resources being spent on damage caused by insured drivers - when in most other circumstances claims would be made and insurance companies would cough up. 

I guess the same should apply to damage caused by insured steerers.

[Victor Vectis]

Happens all too frequently at the Shirley Drawbridge too.

 

We've caught two cars and a Sky TV van on the bridge on seperate occasions.

One driver said it was my fault as "Couldn't I see him coming?" He obviously couldn't see the steady orange light, the flashing red lights or hear the eer-wha-eeh-wha noise.

Ho hum.

[cuthound]

4 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Hopefully the culprit is known, so CaRT can claim on their insurance. 

 

For bridges that are frequently hit it would pay CRT to install CCTV cameras.

[Shropshire Landlubber]

Any more news on the status of the Bridge please - hoping to get through tomorrow !

[Jen-in-Wellies]

7 hours ago, Shropshire Landlubber said:

Any more news on the status of the Bridge please - hoping to get through tomorrow !

Nothing certain. On Friday, CaRT said they would give an update on Mondsy. Hopefully a repair team will be back. The bridge is operable by the engineers in manual mode. If so, you may well get through, but may have to wait a bit. With luck, they will fix it and operation will be back to normal.

[Ogwr]

AH gone are the days when Mum and Dad were in the Cotton Arms when I used to wind it by hand on a Saturday evening, best tip i  got was was 2/6 half a crown was a fortune then.

[MartinC]

17 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Heard of it happening, particularly with bridge strikes, which cost CaRT a fortune fixing.

See this newspaper report with a CaRT spokesbod saying they do, if they can trace the driver.

https://www.expressandstar.com/your-world/2025/06/26/drivers-urged-to-take-care-as-collision-damages-historic-dimmingsdale-canal-bridge/

Must be particularly annoying as it tends to be the same bridges over and over again. 

Only "if they can trace the driver" ? I wonder if CaRT have looked at the MIB Agreement about property damage caused by untraced drivers?

[NB Saturn]

11 minutes ago, MartinC said:

Only "if they can trace the driver" ? I wonder if CaRT have looked at the MIB Agreement about property damage caused by untraced drivers?

 

There has to be significant personal injury as well as property damage for a business to claim under the agreement, so I’d assume the same would apply to CRT 

[PeterF]

Notice issued that it has been re-opened.

[ditchcrawler]

20 hours ago, cuthound said:

 

For bridges that are frequently hit it would pay CRT to install CCTV cameras.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Deja vu...

Another month, another vehicle strike. 

 

Navigation Closure

Bridge20, Wrenbury Bridge

Details

Type: Navigation Closure
Waterway(s): Llangollen Canal
From: 9 October 2025, 11am
To: On-going
Region: North West
Reason: Repair
Subject to review on: 10 October 2025

Location

Closest waterway: Llangollen Canal
Starts at: Bridge 20, Wrenbury Bridge
Ends at: Bridge 20, Wrenbury Bridge

Description

Original 9 October 2025, 11:04am

 

The navigation is currently closed at Wrenbury Swing Bridge, Bridge 20 on the Llangollen Canal due to a vehicle strike.

Our local team are aware and we are in the process of carrying out a repair.

An update will be provided Friday 10 October.