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Tadcaster flood 26th December 2015

On Boxing Day the river Wharfe broke its banks and exceeded the flood defences protecting the town of Tadcaster.  Over the evening the main high street, bus station, doctors, Sainsbury’s supermarket and lots of shops and business premises went under the flood water.This disaster was only the start of the challenges to hit the town.  The river remained excessively high filling all 5 arches of Tadcaster road bridge.  After three days of this relentless pressure the bridge collapsed on the evening of the 29th December on upstream side.  This caused the area around the bridge to be evacuated due to the fracturing of a gas main crossing the bridge.  The first stone bridge across the river in Tadcaster is thought to have been built around 1200 from the remains of Tadcaster castle.  Parts of the current structure date around 1700 although after the collapse it can clearly be seen to be two bridges that have been joined together to form a wider road crossing.  The town remained split until a temporary footbridge was opened on the 12th February 2016.  The repair of the road bridge is estimated to cost £3 million and was planned to be opened in December 2016 one year after the collapse.  The current completion date is now the end of January 2017