Thousands of Cumbrian citizens and those from surrounding cities are facing travel difficulties from recent floods after 25 roads are closed and 16 bridges are termed unsafe for travel.
The flood hit the town and nearby villages on Friday forcing some commuters to reroute their travel plans and cutting off frequently used roads and bridges.
Military experts and structural engineers are currently conducting an emergency look at over 1,800 bridges to determine if they are safe. Already 13 primary schools and five secondary schools have been shut in the area as a result of the flooding. As cleanup work continues Cockermouth town centre has been closed off by utility workers and structural engineers.
Duncan Stewart Fairbairn the City Councillor stated that there are not too many roads in the area that do not have a bridge that may have faced damage, which will lead to chaos on the roads. He stated that there are many people such as teachers, policemen, and healthcare that will not have to take detours leading to long journeys that will create a ‘logistical nightmare.’
Due to the collapse of a Northside bridge, means Workington town has already been split in two, and an additional bridge on Calva is expected to collapse as well causing further concern.
MP for Workington, Tony Cunningham sad that in order to get to Seaton travelers most now plan for a 90 minute detour in place of a trip that under better road conditions would only take a few minutes. Cunningham continued to say that he is worried about those that are cut off and need prescriptions, aid, or baby nappies because the medical centre cannot keep up with demands.
