Dock Gate 10 closed off after lorry hits historic archway

The bottom of the grade-two listed archway, which marks the entrance to Dock Gate 10, was struck by a tall load as it attempted to pass under the structure.

Port staff have blocked off the road while engineers inspect the structure and clear up the damage.

Small traffic wishing to access the port through Dock Gate 10 are instead being advised to go through Dock Gate 8, on Herbert Walker Avenue.

Dock gate 10 is currently closed due to a traffic incident. Dock gate 8 has been opened to small vehicles only. For container traffic, please continue to follow the diversion routes (see video) and use dock gate 20 to enter and leave the port. https://t.co/Zw82r8d73M Thank you.

— DP World Southampton (@DPWorldSouthamp) 14 November 2018

According to Historic England, who preserve and list historic buildings, the gate was built between 1933 and 1934 by the Southern Railway Company.

The archway, along with its sister structure over the entrance for Dock Gate 8, were developed in the early 1930s to consolidate Southampton’s emergence as Britain’s main passenger port and ‘Gateway to the World’

The organisation say the archways are listed because they are a rare example of dock gateways dating from the inter-war period.

Dock Gate 8 has additional interest derived from the memorial plaque erected after World War II by the US army commemorating Southampton’s role as a port during that conflict.