A NEW experimental weight limit to restrict large vehicles using a village road has been approved.

A 7.5 tonnes weight limit, without any exemptions has been approved by Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) for Adlestrop railway bridge on the A436 Oddington Road, Stow-on-the-Wold.

GCC implemented the experimental weight limit after Burford Town Council and Oxfordshire County Council introduced an experimental weight restriction on the A361 in Burford, with the alternative route for HGVs being the A40 / A429 into Gloucestershire.

A spokesman for the county council said: "This will have two main benefits.

"Firstly it will deter HGVs from using Sheep Street in Stow where the signalised junction with the A429 / A436 / B4068 already suffers from congestion resulting in poor air quality and secondly, it will help improve safety on the bridge itself.

"The bridge over the railway line is narrow and suffers from poor forward visibility for drivers because of the sloped approaches to the bridge and also being on a bend in the road.

"There is also a sub-standard, narrow footway on one side of the bridge which can leave pedestrians feeling vulnerable, particularly if two large vehicles pass each other whilst on the bridge.

"It is therefore intended that the proposed experimental weight restriction in Gloucestershire will be used to monitor traffic flows and will remain in place as long as the Oxfordshire experimental Order is in force in Burford.

"This will give us the flexibility to react to any changes in traffic flows caused as a result of the Burford Order."