Residents are hitting back at newly installed alignment markers on Marlow bridge.

Buckinghamshire Council began the installation of flexible alignment markers this month, with the new additions designed to clearly mark the width of vehicles permitted to cross the Grade-I listed bridge. 

However, many residents feel that the new markers are ineffective in solving the problems posed by HGVs frequently breaching the bridge's three-tonne weight restriction. 

Residents in Marlow shared their thoughts on the alignment markers, which have been fixed to the bridge's controversial width-restriction bollards, in the Positively Marlow Facebook group.

Vicki Jones wrote: “All the heavy overweight vehicles can still pass through as their wing mirrors go over the top. Small, low, normal cars are affected as they are level with the mirrors so they’re not helpful at all in stopping the vehicles that shouldn’t be crossing!” 

Becky Whitworth agreed, writing: “My wing mirror got pushed backwards and I’m in a low Audi A3. It can get through, but I have to go very slowly and it only just makes it.”

Dawn Summers added: “Waste of money. The bigger vehicles are much taller and therefore not affected by this as their wing mirrors are much higher.”

Several residents suggested that Buckinghamshire Council should install ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras instead, to monitor overweight vehicles attempting to cross without risking damage to smaller cars.

Mike Paine wrote: “ANPR is the only solution that will deter unwanted vehicles and will bring in revenue to Marlow as opposed to inflicting expensive car repairs to residents.”

Some people did express positive opinions of the new installations, however.

Stuart Young wrote: “I think they are a great idea. If you can’t get through them you are doing something wrong.”

Anne Vesterinen-Heath added that she also had no problem going past them. 

Despite this, others shared that they had already observed damages to the alignment markers, despite installation only being completed last week.

Nick Pink and Tony Pearce both said they had seen markers which had been broken and knocked several times in the last few days.

READ MORE: Marlow bridge: A history of width restriction incidents

The news and media officer for Buckinghamshire Council, Craig Todd, said the flexible alignment markers had been installed to help motorists to align and navigate their vehicles through the bridge's width restriction bollards. 

Bucks Council launched a trial installation of ANPR cameras on Marlow bridge back in November 2021, where it was discovered that, on average, 97 vehicles were breaking the weight restriction rules every day. 

Due to prohibitions on the enforcement of structural weight limits by local authorities, the cameras were permanently removed at the end of the trial period.