THE price tag to repair more than 150 bridges across Essex which are not up to standard could be a whopping £61 million, it has been revealed.

The county has the second highest number of substandard bridges in Great Britain, with 163 in total.

A report carried out by motoring research charity, the RAC Foundation, and Adept, found only Devon had more.

Substandard means the bridges are unable to carry the heaviest vehicles, including lorries of up to 44 tonnes.

Figures show it would cost an estimated £61,517,000 to repair them.

Only 12 bridges are intended to be returned to full load capacity in the next five years.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding described the conditions of road bridges as a “canary-in-a-coal-mine indicator for the health of the highway network as a whole”.

He said: “As recent storms have demonstrated, our road infrastructure – including bridges – is under attack, not just from the ever-growing volume of traffic but from the elements.

“Highway authorities desperately need the money and the engineering expertise to monitor and ensure our highways are properly maintained and kept open for business.”

Essex County Council deputy leader and infrastructure boss Kevin Bentley said Essex has one of the longest road networks and many more bridges than other areas.

“Despite having significant financial pressures we have always prioritised investment in the road network as we want to ensure we keep Essex moving,” he said.

“This year we will spend £8 million on structures, which includes bridge maintenance and next year we have also committed to spending £8 million.”

He said the council was confident of effectively managing bridges to keep traffic moving.

But he added: “We are very conscious that we have a large number of older bridges in our county, many dating back to the Victorian era or even before, which were never designed to take modern volumes, size or weight of traffic, up to 44 tonnes.

“This offers a stark challenge to every authority, but we are utilising modern technology to tackle this.

“Innovative bridge fixes, alongside regular inspections, structural assessments and a fully-scientific prioritisation of bridge repairs or replacements, will help us maximise our investment.

“We know we cannot reverse the decline of bridges overnight, but we can be confident of effectively managing our local bridges to help keep Essex moving.”

Essex Highways recently finalised work at Thistley Green Bridge in Braintree aqnd is also looking to replace the historic bridge in the centre of Finchingfield.