Weel Bridge reopened to traffic on 25 September after a £1m refurbishment, almost 23 weeks after it was lifted out. The Weel Road tip was due back on Saturday.

Weel Bridge is open again. The road over the River Hull between Beverley and the village of Weel reopened to traffic on the evening of Friday 25 September.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council spent £1m refurbishing the bridge. The Beverley household waste recycling site on Weel Road, shut while the bridge was out, was due to reopen at 10am on Saturday 26 September. (East Riding of Yorkshire Council, 26 September 2026)

The bridge was craned out on Saturday 18 April. In April the council said the route would be shut for around 12 weeks. It was shut for 160 days, just under 23 weeks. We covered the overrun in early September and the bridge’s return on 12 September, when the council blamed newly found corrosion inside the aluminium structure for a two-month delay.

Bar chart. The council planned in April for Weel Bridge to be out for about 12 weeks. From the lift-out on 18 April to the reopening on 25 September it was shut for 160 days, almost 23 weeks.
The closure ran almost twice as long as planned. Chart by East Riding Today
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What the £1m paid for

The bridge was taken by road to Blyth, near Doncaster, where the council’s contractor, Esh Construction, refurbished it. It came back on 12 September in new blue paint. The council lists the work as:

  • structural repairs and strengthening of the aluminium structure
  • mechanical, electrical and bridge control system upgrades
  • safety improvements, including refurbished parapets
  • road realignment to improve vehicle access and visibility for drivers
  • a wider shared footway and cycleway

Weel Bridge is a bascule bridge: it lifts to let boats through on the River Hull. It was built in 1953, making it 73 years old, and last had major work in 2012.

The lifting gear is not finished. The council says Esh engineers will carry on technical work on the new operating system that raises and lowers the bridge for boat traffic. It has not said how long that will take.

Councillor Paul West, the council’s cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “I’m delighted we’ve finally been able to reopen Weel Bridge following its major overhaul.”

He thanked residents and drivers, “especially villagers in Weel and to people who use the Weel HWRS, for bearing with us while we completed this scheme”.

What it means for you

  • Driving to Weel. Grovehill Road runs straight through to Weel again, so the long way round is over.
  • The limits have not changed. There is still a three-tonne weight limit and a 3.3m height restriction on the bridge. It is no route for vans over three tonnes, lorries or tall vehicles.
  • Walking and cycling. The shared path over the bridge is now wider.
  • The tip. The council said Beverley’s site on Weel Road would reopen at 10am on Saturday 26 September. Its published hours are 10am to 5pm, seven days a week. Bring your Resident’s Pass or proof of an East Riding address; our bin collection page explains what counts, and our tip opening times page lists all ten sites.
  • Boat users. Ask the council before you rely on a lift. The new control system is still being worked on.

Everything else shut on the district’s roads this week, including Wolfreton Lane at Willerby, is on our East Riding roadworks page.

Sources