MONTHS of traffic chaos look set to hit Otley as strengthening work takes place to the bridge.

Engineers from Leeds City Council are currently looking into the state of the 300-year-old Otley Bridge and how traffic could be handled while work is taking place.

They are expected to finish a feasibility study in October ahead of going out to public consultation.

Although a decision has yet to be made, the choices are likely to be either the building of a temporary Bailey Bridge to take traffic, or making the bridge single lane only.

No details of cost or length of time of the project have yet been released, but similar strengthening and repair work has taken place at Pool-in-Wharfedale and is shortly to start at Harewood.

At Pool, where a Bailey Bridge was built to take traffic using the A658 Harrogate Road, the project cost £700,000 - including £360,000 for the temporary bridge.

And at Harewood, where work is due to start on September 13 and take ten weeks, the cost of the project has been put at £350,000.

In both cases, substance from the arches of the bridges are replaced with concrete to strengthen the structures and make them able to take 44 tonne vehicles - to comply with European standards.

Councillor Graham Kirkland (Lib Dem, Otley and Wharfedale) said he was not surprised that the bridge would have to be strengthened.

"I've been saying for years that the bridge would have to be strengthened.

"It doesn't take a genius to work out that the bridge was not built to take the amount of enormous lorries it is having to take. It was originally built for horse and carts and now it is taking 44 tonne lorries and 150 of them every day."

If a Bailey Bridge is built it will either have to bend sharply off the B6451 Billam's Hill and across Wharfemeadows Park, or go across the former Bridge End auction mart and in front of the police station.

If a temporary bridge is not thought possible and the bridge is made single lane only, major traffic queues are likely.

The work, which is not expected to take place before 2004, could also be taking place at the same time of the rebuilding of Wharfedale Hospital in Newall Carr Road.

Coun Kirkland added that finding the right location for a temporary bridge to take traffic would be difficult.

"They won't be able to put it in front of houses in Bridge Avenue and the only place they'll be able to put it is across the auction mart, but that'll mean the house on the corner by the police station is left on an island."

Coun Nigel Francis (Con, Otley and Wharfedale) added: "I can't see where a Bailey Bridge would go. The only place to do it would be across the auction mart and then they would have to put it up to such a high level in case of flooding. I think they will probably make the bridge single lane, but it will certainly cause massive headaches."

Coun Francis said he would be calling for all heavy vehicles to be banned from the town centre.

"If they can ban vehicles over 7.5 tonnes in a place like Thirsk, they should be able to do the same in a place like Otley."

A spokesman for Leeds City Council said: "We are currently looking at plans to carry out work on Otley Bridge and are in the early stages of a feasibility study. This should be completed in October at which time we shall be consulting with councillors and residents in Otley over the proposed plans. At present we do not expect work on the bridge to begin until early 2004."