The county’s transport chief has slammed “incompetent” Highways England officials, after the closure of a busy road saw dozens of overweight vehicles abuse the weight restrictions on the Marlow Bridge.

At the beginning of the month a section of the A404 was closed as Highways England removed the Volvo footbridge for major repairs – causing traffic chaos in Marlow as drivers attempted to divert the closures by crossing the weight-restricted landmark.

The government company said guards would be provided to man the bridge while the busy dual carriageway was closed, however they failed to turn up, leaving it “open to abuse” by overweight vehicles.

At a meeting of Bucks County Council (BCC) on Thursday, September 20, councillor for Marlow, Alex Collingwood, asked what action will be taken by the council to ensure the bridge is protected when the A404 is closed again next month so the footbridge can be re-installed.

He said: “Highways England was supposed to protect the bridge but clearly failed.

“I personally stopped a Sainsbury’s lorry going across the bridge myself, and I actually woke the Highways England marshals up from their slumber in their van on Sunday morning.

“What measures will we as Bucks County Council do when it gets shut again on October 13  and they put the Volvo Bridge back across the A404 bypass?”

BCC’s cabinet member for transport, Mark Shaw, branded the Highways England work a “diabolical disaster” and assured Cllr Collingwood the bridge will be manned on both sides when the A404 is closed again.

He added Highways England will be expected to foot the bill for funding the guards due to its “incompetence”.

Cllr Shaw said: “It was an absolutely diabolical disaster the work that was done by Highways England a couple of weeks ago.

“It was a disgraceful mess, and that will not be allowed to continue. What I have put in place for next time we are due to have works done, is to have the officials on both sides of the bridge.

“That is a cost to this council but we will be reclaiming the money from highways England due to their incompetence.”