A TAVISTOCK councillor has voiced concerns that a major road bridge into the town is being shaken to bits by ever-increasing traffic.

West Devon borough councillor Mandy Ewings said the bridge, which carries the main A386 road into the centre of Tavistock across the town’s canal, has further deteriorated in a fortnight since she took photographs showing deep cracks in its structure.

Cllr Ewings, also a town councillor, said the bridge was a ‘pinch point’ for traffic to Tavistock from the directions of Plymouth, Callington and Launceston.

She said she believed part of the reason the bridge was starting to deteriorate was the increasing volume of traffic using it.

That view was recently reinforced by Devon County Highways, with one official saying Tavistock’s roads were on the point of reaching their full capacity.

Cllr Ewings said: ‘If that bridge has to be closed for repairs, or indeed any major work, then it will be horrendous. Frankly, from what I have seen of it, the condition of the bridge is not looking good.

‘Goodness knows we get enough traffic jams in Tavistock when road repairs are going on, but if the bridge is closed, then we will see a jam which I think will be worse than anything we have witnessed recently.’

She added: ‘I took some photographs two weeks ago and it is clear that part of the parapet is moving away from another part. There are also cracks lower down in the structure.

‘I did report the problem to a staff member from Devon County Council, but I haven’t heard anything back yet, although I am sure they will be concerned.’

The bridge can be dated back to at least the 19th century when it was used to carry road traffic across the canal.

A cemented inscription on the bridge also indicates that it was restored in 1903.

Cllr Ewings said: ‘One of the major problems (with the bridge) is the volume of traffic using the roads, particularly in terms of heavy traffic.

‘Some of the vehicles which use it on a regular basis are truly massive and it’s quite obvious that the bridge was not built to cope with the volume of traffic which exists today.

‘It would be too much for me to suggest that the bridge is on the point of collapse, but I am concerned about the chaos it could cause if it had to be closed for any length of time for major repair work, which I think may be a possibility.

‘Of course, there could be diversions set up to keep traffic away from the bridge, but that has happened before and it has caused all sorts of problems for traffic in the town.’

Devon County Council has been approached for a comment.