APPROXIMATELY 4 per cent of bridges in Cumbria are substandard, meaning they are unable to carry the heaviest vehicles on our roads - new figures show.

Figures from the RAC Foundation show that of the 1,801 bridges in Cumbria, 72 were substandard last year.

Substandard means bridges are either too weak to carry 40-tonne vehicles or there is a weight restriction for environmental reasons such as a narrow bridge or narrow approach roads.

A Cumbria County Council spokesman said: "These statistics reflect the high number of historic bridges we have in Cumbria, many of which are listed structures and must be maintained using heritage methods and materials.

"We have introduced weight limits to these bridges which are clearly signed.

“It is important to note that there are over 1,700 structures in Cumbria (the 3rd largest number of bridges in England behind Devon and North Yorkshire).

"With 72 substandard bridges, this represents approximately 4 per cent of Cumbria’s bridge stock - which is the national average for England.

"Ensuring the highway network is reliable and safe is a top priority for the county council, and we also understand how important historical assets such as bridges are to local communities.”

Across Great Britain, councils said 3,090 bridges were substandard – accounting for 4.3 per cent of the total 71,925 bridges. It was down slightly from 3,211 substandard bridges reported the year before (4.5 per cent).

The estimated one-time cost to clear the maintenance backlog on bridges across the nations was £5.9 billion.