AN OVERNIGHT closure of Poole’s troubled Twin Sails Bridge last night took place to allow a blitz on its problems.

And Borough of Poole is in negotiations with contractors over “delay damages” which could run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The £20.6million second harbour crossing which was overdue and has had a range of problems since completion, was closed to road traffic and pedestrians from 8pm yesterday.

Its closure allowed maintenance staff from Borough of Poole, Hochtief (UK) Ltd and electrical contractor IES to carry out tests and adjustments to the bridge.

Jim Bright, strategic director, Borough of Poole said: “Since opening the Twin Sails Bridge to road traffic we have experienced a number of minor issues, which we are keen to understand and resolve as soon as possible.

“By closing the bridge overnight we hope to minimise disruption to the public and work with our contractors to find a successful solution to the problems.”

John Rice, the council’s engineering and maintenance manager said: “One of the traffic barriers recently fell apart and a couple of mid morning bridge lifts were missed due to minor teething problems.

“As a consequence of these events we have opted to meet the key contractors on the Twin Sails Bridge to assess the issues and carry out further tests and remedial works with the aim of reducing the risk of further incidents.

“We are committed to achieving the highest standards and the most reliable outcome possible and apologise for any inconvenience caused,” he added.

Mr Bright said the contract allowed the completion date to be moved in the event of exceptional conditions or the need for additional works.

“In this regard the contractor for the Twin Sails Bridge project has asked for a number of matters to be considered and these are now being assessed in accordance with the contract.

“Any contractor liability for delayed completion will be determined at the end of this process. It is therefore too early to determine the level of damages that may well be applied,” he said.