Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how frequently is the long term condition of bridges monitored and how is this information recorded.

Responsibility for monitoring and inspecting the condition of local highway bridges sits with local highway authorities. Guidance recommends that they determine how often they inspect their local highways bridges by considering appropriate criteria, for example through a formal risk assessment, and that detailed inspection records should be kept.

We understand that many local authorities choose to follow guidance for National Highways bridges which sets out that general inspections should be undertaken every two years and principal inspections every six years.