Abstract: A device for controlling the spacing of the plates on a bridging arrangement for expansion joints in bridges or the like, in which device one or more plates run parallel between edge beams defining the expansion joint and are mounted on cross-members bridging the expansion joint. The plate is coupled to the two edge beams, or each plate is coupled to an edge beam and an adjacent plate or to two adjacent plates, by means of resilient members arranged to act in shear. Each resilient member is secured by one end to an edge beam or a plate and by the other end to a connector that is resilient to bending. Each connector connects the resilient members of an edge beam and a plate or of two plates to one another. All the plates are connected to one another and to the edge beams by one or more continuous control chains comprising shear springs and connectors.