Work to restore ancient bridge could take months
Westmorland and Furness CouncilAn ancient bridge damaged in a crash could take months to be restored.
About 32.8 ft (10 m) of heritage stonework was knocked from a parapet at Nether Bridge in Kendal, Cumbria, after a car allegedly crashed into it last week.
The bridge will be shut from 9:30am to about 14:00 to allow Westmorland and Furness Council to recover the stone from the River Kent. It is hoped it can be used to repair the structure, which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
The Lib-Dem authority said a permanent fix would take "a number of months" as it would require the appointment of a contractor experienced "in such high-profile heritage work".
"It is important that the stonework is recovered from the watercourse as soon as possible," said cabinet member for highways, Councillor Peter Thornton.
"There will be some disruption, but we aim to keep that to a minimum and I am sure that people will understand the need to carry out this work so this important part of Kendal's heritage can be repaired properly and appropriately."
A man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving following the crash on 17 June shortly before 01:00 BST.
Cumbria Police said no-one was injured and the suspect was released under investigation.