Southall’s ‘GWS’ bridge span saved
A section of bridge upon which the Great Western Society was formed has been saved - for Didcot Railway Centre. Southall’s Merrick Road footbridge, which spanned the Great Western Main Line, was dismantled in three parts over two consecutive weekends as part of the Crossrail project. The third span of the footbridge was where the four founding members of the GWS are said to have stood in 1961 when they formed the society. This section will be re-used at the society’s Didcot headquarters. NR Scheme Project Manager Andrew Durrant said: “The Great Western Society approached the project, at short notice to request that one of the spans be preserved in their museum at Didcot. We were only too happy to accommodate their request.” A new combined cycle and pedestrian bridge will replace the structure at Merrick Road.