The Vale and County Councils plan to replace the old wooden bridge between Abbey Meadows and Barton Fields. The new bridge will be less steep to make it easier for everyone to use. The design will also need to protect mature trees, wildlife, and the stream below. Developer money (Community Infrastructure Levy) will help pay for it.
The bridge is used by National Cycle Route 5, the Thames Path, and is a link to Radley Lakes.
(See Vale News Item for more information.)
Given the recent “success” of such projects in Oxford, we can only hope the bridge replacement will take less than 48 months.
It’s good that accessibility is a top priority for the design of the new bridge.
The current steep incline means it’s difficult for mobility scooters, wheelchairs and cycling.
It’s not that difficult for cycling as there is a sign telling cyclists to dismount.
John, speaking from experience, if you have mobility issues, and depend on the assistance of an ebike to get around, the steep incline while you push your bike is difficult.
2 things spring to mind, firstly construction shouldn’t start on this until the weir walkway is reopened (unless a parallel bridge is built before the existing bridge is removed) and secondly the bottom end of Barton Fields floods at certain times of the year rendering the existing a bridge to nowhere, it would be good if the new construction took this into account and somehow provided access at all times of the year.
This bridge is the responsibility of the council, the weir is the responsibility of the Environment Agency who have a historical hatred of any pedestrians/cyclists wanting to ruin their infrastructure by crossing it and so take forever to replace rights of way. This one will get repaired/replaced more quickly.
I agree with all the practical points made above, but the current bridge has its charm and I can imagine Claude Monet might have gone home to fetch his paint brushes had he seen it in a ‘good light’ … as Backstreeter has in the top photograph.
Now there’s a project for one of the local painting groups before the bridge is history …
Maybe they will.construct it from something more robust than wood