Damaged bridge still not reopened

PEOPLE LIVING NEAR the closed footbridge over the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal are still calling for it to be reopened.

This is causing problems to children who now have to walk an extra 30 minutes to get to and from school, Janet Friend reports.

Lower Hempsted Bridge, that previously provided pedestrian access over the waterway, was closed by Gloucestershire Highways on the 22nd April owing to to safety concerns.

Structure worn away

It was discovered the tarmac on the structure had worn away, exposing the wooden foundations.

However, a Gloucestershire County Council spokesperson tells the bridge is likely to remain closed until planned work is completed in July.

Canal & River Trust, that is responsible for the bridge, tells that having secured the necessary funding they are 'waiting for specialist material to be delivered before we remove the current bridge surface and deck and replace it with a new timber deck on behalf of the council'.  Until then it remains closed.