Van gets firmly wedged under bridge in Manningtree

The vehicle became wedged under the notorious underpass on the A137 by the station this morning.

Police were called to the incident at 8.40am and the road was partially blocked after the accident which caused heavy traffic for some time.

The van was removed by officers by 10.15am and the driver was reported on suspicion of careless driving.

Carlo Guglielmi, Essex county councillor for Mistley, Manningtree and Lawford, said: “It’s appalling that people are still making these idiotic mistakes at the bridge.

“When this type of incident happens there is absolute carnage on the roads.

“It’s an error an every driver should not make.”

However, Mr Guglielmi did say that the maximum height limit for vehicles needs to be highlighted.

“The bottom line is drivers of commercial vehicles should be far more careful when they see a narrow or low bridge approaching,” he added.

A van also became trapped under the bridge in May.

On that occasion, the van driver was soon able to free the vehicle from under the bridge and traffic resumed in both directions.

Buses and lorries have also been stuck on a number of occasions.

Mr Guglielmi has been campaigning for the installation of safety measures and traffic lights at the underpass for several years.

This summer his efforts paid off as Network Rail started work to install red light safety enforcement cameras at 13 levels crossings, including the one in Manningtree.

The cameras can identify vehicles which fail to stop at level crossings when the road traffic lights are flashing red and capture this evidence to support legal action.

Mr Guglielmi said funding has also been allocated to “scope out” a design for a traffic light system at the crossing.

The traffic lights are set to be installed as a short-term solution to 33 years of gridlock issues.

They would replace the controversial priority system at the underpass, which is only wide enough for one vehicle.

At present, the underpass gives priority to Suffolk traffic.

The lights, and their installation, are expected to cost between £150,000 and £200,000.