Workington road bridge to open April 21
Last updated at 14:10, Thursday, 08 April 2010
WORKINGTON'S new temporary bridge will open on April 21.
Speaking exclusively to the Times & Star, Transport Minister Sadiq Khan said he was delighted to announce the opening date and thanked the people of Workington for their patience and the contractors for their work.
Mr Khan, who has visited Workington twice, said: "This is really record time for a bridge to be erected. I was told in November that it couldn't be done, that it would take at least a year for a bridge to be put up.
"Visiting the area, I knew this was not an option to wait that long. This has been a priority for us. I've really micro-managed the process and Gordon Brown has taken a keen interest.
"Tony Cunningham has lobbied us constantly for updates and pushed for answers from me and my department, keeping West Cumbria at the forefront of our minds.
"Meeting people in your community, people stranded, who couldn't get to work, to school or to the shops, really impressed upon me the urgency in which this bridge was needed.
"This has never been done before in such time anywhere in the country and we are grateful to the contractors who worked round the clock and to the residents nearby, who have been patient with the work going on."
Meanwhile, Workington MP Tony Cunningham has secured Barker Crossing to stay in the town until the end of May.
The temporary footbridge was erected by the army at the end of last year to reconnect the north and south sides of Workington, which had been cut off from each other when Northside Bridge collapsed and Workington Bridge was closed due to the November floods.
First published at 11:16, Thursday, 08 April 2010
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk
The new north-side bridge is it capable of taking two HGV trucks at same time.
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Any questions you should have gone to one of the meetings well publicised in Workington and Seaton 12th and 13th April.
Hard to believe but they say there has been a lot of work going on and there will be announcements on W'ton and Northside bridges imminent. Navvies is a footbridge and owned by DEFRA who do not want to pay for it so funding is an issue here.Barker Bridge buses will stop at end of May (I think), schools buses continue until end of term and recently publicised new traffic controls are subject to being changed for the better if they don't quite work within first few days.All too complex to write here - it's a shame they can't publish a transcript of the meeting.Posted by Derek on 14 April 2010 at 15:46