Ferry Bridge nearly ready.....

The daily commute in and out of Burton continues to be one of frustration for all users, though particularly cyclists and pedestrians who normally use the Ferry bridge over the River Trent.  The Ferry bridge carries NCR63 into Burton and is a vital part of infrastructure within the area.

Recent roadworks further up the road in South Derbyshire have emphasised the difference in approach to road network maintenance and sustainable transport network maintenance as will be discussed below.

For over a year now the bridge has been closed due to essential repairs.  One could argue if the bridge had been maintained properly over recent years, work of such magnitude may not be required.  Thankfully the bridge is now starting to appear from under the scaffolding but it has taken a long time.

The bridge, restored to it's former glory including coats of arms, is gradually reappearing from under the scaffolding.

In that year, a very unofficial looking diversion has been signed via the very busy St Peters Bridge.  The fairly wide path on the bridge has not been signed as shared use during this time so it is unclear whether cycling on the path is strictly legal.  Recent works on the footpath diversion have clearly not helped either.

The diversion route certainly raises questions.

The photos show the approach to the bridge via a bus stop and also show how busy the traffic can be over the bridge (and this is not at its peak).  This would be bad enough for a temporary diversion for only a week but to leave it like this for so long has risked accidents.  At around half a mile, I feel that dismounting is not an option.  Some pedestrians have made it clear that they don't think cyclists should be on the path, whilst most seem to accept that there is little alternative.  It is this lack of clarity that leads to uncertainty and potential for accidents.  Also, the behaviour of some cyclists has been concerning, often not even slowing down when approaching pedestrians.

Works on the path have not helped, though these were thankfully quickly completed.

Cycling on the pavement seems to be coming habitual in Burton and is one of my pet hates,  but this whole diversion debacle is one of the reasons why people don't feel safe on some of the roads.

The work on the Ferry bridge looks like it is being done to a high standard and is a credit to those involved.  Even from a distance it looks like the previously dilapidated structure has been given a new lease of life.  The Friends of the Ferry bridge have done a lot of work in persuading the authorities to reinstate the bridge to it's original condition and their work has been referred to in previous articles on this blog and also, as shown below, in the Burton Mail.

Click here to read more about the detailed work on the bridge.

Read here about the re-opening of the Ferry Bridge

Whilst the work on the bridge has clearly been challenging, it has taken a long time.  I'm not sure whether this has been due to the technical challenges faced or whether, according to some users, work has not been ongoing all of the time.

It is certainly worth noting that resurfacing works on 3 roundabouts on the A444 and A514 around Castle Gresley has been done very quickly.  Notably this has been achieved by significantly more people working through the night to achieve the task, like most other road projects.

I'm now hoping that the "Cyclists Dismount" signs have been removed from the Ferry Bridge when it reopens.  If not I'm sure it will feature within these pages...