Footbridge over Beecroft Road

The Trust has been a bit surprised to find out that a pedestrian crossing footbridge over Beecroft Road is planned for early construction.  Apparently some locals received a "Have your Say" document, but clearly this was not distributed to all potential users of the footbridge.

The plan is that the bridge will be built just south of the Community Hall with lift access both sides.

This shows a plan view of the intended location

Here is an artists impression of the finished bridge.

If you wish to have a say on this, submissions are required by next Monday!  Comments received so far include:

 

"By having ramps originating as closely as possible to the Copeland Road intersections there will be much more likelihood that the bridge will be used by the general public." 

 

The Trust agrees, feeling that the only people likely to use the bridge in this location are those walking along Beecroft Road, who need to cross from one side to the other some time in their journey.  It is hard to imagine people walking from the Copeland Road to the Beecroft shops walking all the way down to the bridge, then over the bridge, and all the way back.  Even now many people cross the road there without waiting for the green pedestrian traffic light.  The location of the bridge seems to have been chosen for ease of construction rather than for usefulness.

 

"Ramps will eliminate the lifts which are otherwise necessary.  Lifts in public places seem to attract vandalism, so we could do without the inconvenience and expense."

 

The originator of this comment points out that, as Beecroft Road slopes down toward the intended footbridge, the ramps can exploit that slope.  Certainly there was much opposition to the removal of the ramp at the Epping footbridge.