(Image: DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL)
Durham County Council is to inspect a small bridge being used by diverted traffic after villagers warned it could become the scene of a serious crash.
The authority said an inspector would visit the bridge in Hamsterley this week to check for defects and determine whether any work is needed.
The crossing over Linburn Beck has become a key part of the diversion into and out of the County Durham village, where residents say they have been forced to rely on an unsuitable route for more than three years.
The C31 at Crakehill Bank has been closed since January 2023, following erosion of the southern embankment that caused significant instability and subsidence.
The C31 Crakehill Bank road.
(Image: DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL)
Council engineers say the road was closed in the interests of public safety, while ground investigations were carried out to help develop a solution to realign the carriageway.
The closure has resulted in a 4.5-mile diversion.
Villagers say the prolonged closure has placed additional pressure on the diversion route, including the narrow bridge over Linburn Beck.
Robert Potts, county councillor for Evenwood ward, said the pinch point had been the scene of several traffic accidents. Residents have also raised concerns about larger vehicles using the bridge, with reports of lorries and vans having to negotiate the narrow crossing.
Cllr Potts said: “Since the closure of the C31, traffic volumes on the C30 have increased substantially, with many residents reporting that traffic has almost doubled.
"The pinch point at the bridge over Linburn Beck has been the site of a number of accidents, and the bridge itself has been struck by vehicles on several occasions.
"The narrow width of the bridge, combined with the angle at which the road approaches it from both directions, creates a particular hazard for road users.
“Only a couple of months ago, a family member with two children in her vehicle was struck by a larger oncoming vehicle. The driver appeared to believe that the bridge was wide enough to accommodate two vehicles passing at the same time, which is clearly not the case when one of those vehicles is significantly wider than an average car.
“Fortunately, nobody was injured on that occasion. However, it raises a serious question: how long can we continue to rely on good fortune before someone is seriously hurt? Without significant improvements to the C30 and the bridge crossing, I fear it is only a matter of time before a more serious incident occurs.”
Durham County Council's structures manager Andrew Lough said the authority had already carried out a detailed assessment of the bridge.
He said: "We carried out an in-depth examination of the bridge last year to determine that it was safe and structurally sound.
"We will be sending another inspector out this week to assess for any defects and plan any required works accordingly.
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"We appreciate the importance of the bridge as a route in and out of the village, and we will continue to monitor it closely to ensure it is structurally safe."
Uncertainty continues over whether the C31 road will ever reopen.
In November 2025, the council said the road would remain closed after further movement and damage was identified, saying the nature of the carriageway and embankment slippage made finding a solution "challenging and complex".