North Yorkshire Council said the Whitby Swing Bridge will close to vehicles for the fifth year after traffic congestion at busy times “sparked safety concerns”.
The 117-year-old bridge will be closed to traffic between 10.30am and 4pm daily during weekends in the school holidays as well as Bank Holidays and special events, with an exemption for buses.
These closures come into force for the Easter school holidays, starting on the weekend of April 5-6.
The bridge will also be closed during the Goth weekends on April 26-27 and November 1-2, the council said.
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North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for highways and transport, Cllr Keane Duncan, said the closures will “once again ensure Whitby residents and visitors can enjoy the town safely”.
“Closing Whitby Swing Bridge to traffic at the busiest times of the summer season has proven absolutely key and has generated positive feedback from local businesses,” he said.
North Yorkshire Council said tourism in Whitby is vital to the local economy, bringing in a £353.8 million boost each year with two million visitors coming to the town each year. The visitor economy also supports more than 3,500 jobs in the Whitby area.
The swing bridge, which spans 75ft, links the upper and lower harbour areas and the east and west sides of the town.
