‘Nightmare’ for residents as bridge still closed
CLOSURE WAS PUT IN PLACE DUE TO ‘SAFETY REASONS’
I’m gutted about this, it slows me down big time getting to work.
A BRIDGE over the River Witham in Lincoln closed for over a month due to “safety reasons” has been causing delayed journeys for residents and commuters alike.
Witham Park bridge, which is the primary road that connects Waterside North and South in the city, has been closed suddenly since March 22.
Lincolnshire County Council said the bridge was the responsibility of commercial advisory firm Hodgson Elkington LLP, which was acquired by property consultants Lambert Smith Hampton in 2016.
However, signage at the bridge indicated that it was being handled by London & Scottish Property Investment Management Ltd (LSPIM), and Lambert Smith Hampton denied involvement in the management of the bridge when contacted. The company responsible for managing the bridge said it is unable to put a timescale on when investigation works will be completed, or when the bridge can reopen to the public.
It is also unclear what caused the closure in the first place, beyond a blanket statement of “safety reasons.”
A spokesperson for LSPIM said: “We are in the process of carrying out investigations and for safety reasons we have taken the advice of our technical advisors to close the bridge.
“We hope to reopen the bridge as soon as possible but cannot advise at this stage when this will be.”
Earlier this week, we highlighted the amount of time it takes to make it across from Waterside North to Waterside South now that bridge is closed.
It took us more than 1,200 steps and over 10 minutes just to cross over, due to the distance to the nearest footbridge, and for vehicles, as well as disabled residents or those with pushchairs, it is even longer.
A driver for Cherry Specialised Transport Services in Lincoln called the situation a “nightmare” for their work, saying “you have to drive the whole way around the one-way system up Pelham Bridge onto Silver Street to get there.”
Residents said it can add time onto commutes to and from work, as they have to loop around the city centre just to access the other side.
With ongoing roadworks at Newland elsewhere in the city causing road users to use alternative access routes around Lincoln, this becomes an additional congestion headache.
Ashley Elvidge said: “My husband uses this bridge to bike to and from work, due to the added journey length he’s late collecting the kids from school every day.
“It might not seem a huge difference, but when people are in a rush to get to places, it makes a huge difference.”
Katie Williamson agreed, saying: “I work down Waterside South and have to get uphill. I can’t finish work any earlier than I do and now I have to go all the way down Broadgate, under Pelham Bridge and back up to Lindum Hill.”
Indeed, even Hits Radio presenter John Marshall, whose radio station is at nearby Witham Park House had his say, commenting with a slightly tongue-incheek tone on social media: “I’m gutted about this, it slows me down big time getting to work and I just can’t get over it!”
Boats were still seen passing under the bridge at the time of reporting, but with fences and anti-climb paint put along the access point of the bridge, there is no way to cross over it. There are no clear, visible signs of structural damage or fragility, but the company managing the bridge says it closed after professional advice that it was unsafe.
Hits Radio presenter, John Marshall