Weel Bridge has been shut 20 weeks against a 12-week plan, and the council has published no new reopening date. The Weel Road tip stays closed with it.

Update, 27 September 2026: Weel Bridge reopened to traffic on the evening of Friday 25 September. Read the reopening story.

The road between Grovehill Road in Beverley and the village of Weel has now been shut for 20 weeks. East Riding of Yorkshire Council planned about 12.

The bridge was craned out of the River Hull on Saturday 18 April so it could be refurbished off site. The council said at the time that the route would be closed “for around 12 weeks, until the bridge can be lifted back in place in July”. (East Riding of Yorkshire Council)

Twelve weeks from the lift-out was Saturday 11 July. That is now eight weeks ago. The council has not published a revised date.

Weel Bridge closure: planned against actual Two bars measured in weeks from the bridge being lifted out on 18 April 2026. The council planned a closure of about 12 weeks, ending 11 July. The road had been shut for 20 weeks on 6 September 2026, and no reopening date has been published. Eight weeks past the plan, and still counting Weeks the Grovehill Road to Weel route has been closed, from the bridge lift-out on 18 April 2026. 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 weeks closed Planned to 11 July about 12 weeks Actual to 6 September 20 weeks the plan ran out here Source: East Riding of Yorkshire Council, 18 April 2026. The arrow means no reopening date has been published. Graphic by East Riding Today

What the council has published, and what it has not

Its news release from April is still the fullest account of the job. It says the bridge:

  • is aluminium, is a bascule design that lifts for boat traffic, and weighs 20 tonnes
  • was lifted clear by a 250-tonne crane and taken to Sheffield for specialist work
  • is being refurbished at a cost of about £1 million by contractor Esh Construction
  • is having corroded aluminium, worn mechanical parts, parapets and pedestrian access repaired
  • is getting a modern operating system and a new shared path for pedestrians and cyclists
  • will have its approach straightened while the road is shut, to improve visibility

The council’s release describes it as a 70-year-old structure and says it was built in 1953. The last major improvements were in 2012.

What is missing is anything current. There is no Weel Bridge page under the council’s current highways projects, which on 6 September listed only the Howden Relief Road. No Weel Bridge closure notice appeared on the Public Notice Portal when we searched the HU17 postcodes around Weel on 6 September. The council’s news page carried ten stories that day and none of them was about the bridge.

The tip is shut too, and the council says so plainly

The clearest live record is on the council’s own recycling site finder. Its page for Beverley HWRS, the tip on Weel Road, carries a closure notice:

Beverley HWRS is closed for the duration of the Weel Bridge refurbishment works, and will reopen as soon as possible once the bridge works are complete.

That was still there when we checked on 6 September. The council closed the tip in April because the bridge closure cut its access.

What it means for you

Driving to Weel. Traffic between Beverley and Weel is signed the long way round, via Weel Road and the A1035 Bridlington to Beverley road. Grovehill Road has no through route to Weel Road, and Weel Road has none to Grovehill Road.

Taking rubbish. The council names three alternative household waste recycling sites:

  • Humberfield, 408 Boothferry Road, Hessle, HU13 0JL
  • Driffield, Church Lane, Driffield, YO25 5XE
  • Hornsea, Atwick Road, Hornsea, HU18 1EJ

Opening hours differ by site and by season, so check the council’s recycling site finder before you set off. The council also lists smaller bring sites in Beverley itself, at Morrisons, Tesco, the leisure centre, Samman Road, Wilbert Court and the Hayride at Molescroft. Those take sorted recycling rather than bulky waste, so they are not a substitute for the tip.

Asking about the date. Questions about the scheme go to the council’s highways customer care line on (01482) 393939. If the council publishes a revised reopening date, we will add it here.

We track every current closure in the district on our East Riding roadworks and travel page, which is refreshed each week.

Frequently asked questions

Is Weel Bridge open?

No. It has been closed to all traffic since 18 April 2026, when the bridge deck was lifted out of the River Hull for refurbishment.

When will Weel Bridge reopen?

The council has not published a date. Its original plan, set out when the bridge was removed, was about 12 weeks with the bridge back in place in July. As of 6 September no revised date had appeared on the council’s website or on the Public Notice Portal.

Why is the Beverley tip closed?

Because the bridge closure cuts its access. The council’s own page for Beverley HWRS on Weel Road says the site is closed for the duration of the refurbishment and will reopen once the bridge works are complete.

What is being done to the bridge?

Repairs to corrosion in the aluminium structure, to worn mechanical parts, to the parapets and to pedestrian access, plus a modern operating system and a new shared path for pedestrians and cyclists. The approach road is being straightened at the same time. The council put the cost at about £1 million.

Sources

Update, 17 September 2026: the council has now given its reason for the delay, and the bridge was lifted back into place on 12 September. It says the road will reopen after a couple of weeks of checks. We have the latest on Weel Bridge here.