Larger bollards could be installed on the iconic Marlow Bridge as early as October this year.

Earlier this year, plans emerged to build new “robust” bollards on the bridge in a bid to prevent a repeat of scenes from 2016 when a lorry driver ignored the three-tonne weight limit and drove over it, forcing it to close for two months.

Bucks County Councillor for Marlow Alex Collingwood said the designs are expected to be unveiled to the public in September, with the bollards being installed during the October half-term.

He said: “We are planning to have an exhibition in Marlow towards the end of September about how best to protect the bridge for the future, but also in the short, medium and long term.

“We do need the bridge protected in the same way as other bridges, such as Tower Bridge and Hammersmith Bridge, are.”

Cllr Collingwood said the larger bollards would be a trial to see if vehicles like Luton vans and 7.5 tonne lorries can be prevented from using the bridge as a shortcut to the A404 Marlow Bypass.

He said: “Before we put them in we want to show the public what they will look like.

“It is a trial to see if it will improve things.

“There will be less traffic on the road during the October half-term so that’s when the plan is to put them in.”

He added: “We have a large number of what I call the six-wheelers – the big, chunky Luton vans and 7.5 tonne lorries.

“They are clearly over the three-tonne weight limit and it’s to stop them from coming up the bridge, if possible.

“If this trial doesn’t stop them, we can take that back to the Department for Transport as evidence and say we need more draconian methods to protect the bridge.”

Cllr Collingwood said the bollards would not stop larger 4x4 vehicles, which would be able to use the bridge as normal.

Earlier this year an investigation found “clear evidence” that vehicles heavier than the three-tonne weight limit frequently use the bridge, sparking fears the beloved landmark could be permanently damaged if drivers continue to flout restrictions.