HUGE delays on the Tamar Bridge, which have built up daily following the opening of the new cantilever sections for traffic last week, have been trying the patience of long-suffering motorists and already hard hit businesses.
Commuters, having to cross the bridge on the way to work, have been faced with delays of up to an hour. They have been forced to wait, either to join traffic on the cantilevers - designed to take all road vehicles up to 40 tonnes - or at the toll booths at the Plymouth end where new barriers are in place.
The new cantilevers, each weighing over l,000 tonnes, are about half a mile long and have a 30mph speed limit on them.
Tamar bridge project manager, Dave Simpson, said the delays are being monitored and minor modifications will be made to improve the situation. He said people were taking notice of warnings to drive slower, and as a result there have been longer delays than normally expected. Inevitably, he added, people are not driving over the bridge as fast as they would on the main deck, but safety has been the main priority. When people are more used to the lanes in the next couple of weeks he hoped the delays would reduce significantly.
He stressed if the bridge had not been improved, only vehicles up to 17 tonnes would have been able to cross it, which would have meant many Cornish businesses losing out. Already vehicles weighing up to 38 tonnes have used the lanes
One VIP who was held up this week was parliamentary secretary of the Privy Council and deputy to the Leader of the House of Commons, Paddy Tipping. He was travelling to Dobwalls on Monday to open a new technology centre, and was caught in the jams. Dobwalls by-pass campaigner, John Mellor, said Mr Tipping had been made well aware of traffic problems in the area, because of the bridge and of posters out and about in Dobwalls.
Saltash Chamber of Commerce chairman, Bob Frost, said his business - Prestige Electronics - is 50% down on takings over the last few months because of the bridge problem. Mr Frost said his business is not alone, and firms throughout the town are struggling. He claimed the town has almost become a no-go area. He added: 'The traffic problems are becoming a joke and stifling investment in the area. If it goes on like it is Saltash Fore Street will close. Compensation will be needed for the large amount of shops and companies that will go out of business.' He cited an incident this week when he was due to have a business meeting with people from Devon. They heard such dire warnings about traffic on the bridge, they turned around and didn't make Saltash.
There is however light at the end of the tunnel as bridge flow improved on Wednesday with 2,575 vehicles passing through the tolls between 8 am and 9 am, compared with 2,287 on at the same time on Monday.