Dear Editor,
Your readers may be interested to know that week commencing 20 April, Network Rail opened the south side footpath and half of one carriageway of the rebuilt Bromham Road Bedford railway bridge to pedestrians and cyclists.
This now allows both parties to keep to the two metre separation while crossing and passing each other as advised in the government’s coronavirus lockdown guidelines.
The temporary pedestrian bridge, in use since last June while the original bridge was being partially demolished and rebuilt slightly higher to enable the electrification of the Midland Mainline between Bedford and Corby to take place, is now closed and being removed.
A number of people have had concerns in using this narrow bridge and meeting others at close quarters and have avoided using it.
The complete rebuilt bridge was originally expected to have been opened by the end of April but two weeks ago Network Rail announced (see a previous Bedford Independent article) that it had been delayed by the need to keep worker’s safe during the lockdown.
Read: Mayor’s disappointment that Bromham Road bridge re-opening is delayed until Summer 2020
At the present time the removal of the temporary bridge has to be completed and the north side carriageway and footpath surfaced.
A separate cycle bridge is planned to be built by Bedford Borough Council at a later stage but no date has been given for its installation.
With the decline in road transport since the lockdown it has been encouraging to see the number of people cycling to work or as part of their daily exercise, the latter, particularly families with very young children.
Let’s hope this continues when conditions return to normal but without the previous levels of toxic pollution and congestion.
Peter Blakeman
Cycling Campaign for North Bedfordshire
Bedford
