Transport bosses defend ‘silence’ on bridge plans (From Evesham Journal)

Transport bosses defend ‘silence’ on bridge plans

12:00pm Thursday 16th February 2012 in News

TRANSPORT chiefs have defended themselves for keeping the plans for the new Abbey Bridge under wraps.

For weeks the Journal’s postbag has been filled with correspondence from residents asking for information about the scheme and questioning how traffic will move through the town.

But Worcestershire County Council has stayed tight-lipped about what work would go on, how long it would take and how it plans to minimise disruption to motorists, businesses and visitors until now.

While the Government announced it was willing to pay £8.6 million towards the scheme in November, Peter Blake, the county’s head of integrated transport, said it was only recently that the contractor was formally appointed and the legalities agreed while the council only pledged last week to pay the extra £4 million needed to carry out the work.

“We understand the public has been frustrated but we essentially didn’t have anything to say because either we didn’t have the money or the legal agreement was not in place,” said Mr Blake.

“We could’ve said something but that only leads to speculation and there are cases up and down the country where that has led to challenge.

Speculation doesn’t necessarily help push these things along and, in fact, speculation often gets you into trouble.”

Work on the Abbey Bridge is planned to begin in October this year but for the vast majority of the project vehicles will still be able to cross into and out of the historic market town, although one of bridge’s three lanes could be closed for up to a year.

A 10-week full closure to traffic will be implemented next summer – June, July and August – as Mr Blake said that is when there is less traffic on the roads but he added he is mindful to accommodate any festivals.

The link will remain open throughout the works to pedestrians along with cyclists and motorcyclists who will be asked to dismount before crossing.

Contractor Hochtief Construction, which has replaced Paddington Bridge in London and built the twolane highway bridge linking the Olympic Park to the Stratford city development, will build around the existing Abbey Bridge structure before knocking parts of the old one down.

Mr Blake confirmed his team will look at improving the junction at Waterside while the works take place.

The new, slightly wider bridge made out of reinforced concrete is expected to open in October 2013.