Anger at strategy to make Swansea bridge one way with visitors lights

A two-way road bridge close to Pontarddulais will turn into single file to accommodate a pavement, prompting anger from lots of men and women in the region.

Swansea Council has arrangement from Network Rail, which is strengthening the Pentre Highway bridge – just south of the M4 – to install a pavement to help pedestrians who presently have to walk onto the highway to cross it.

The transform will final result in website traffic lights becoming set both facet of the bridge.

Individuals living in the spot only identified out about it when Gower MS Rebecca Evans posted shots and an update on Facebook final Thursday, in accordance to Pontarddulais councillor Kevin Griffiths.

Cllr Griffiths stated pedestrians had crossed the bridge cautiously for yrs, and that there experienced been chat of a independent bridge for walkers and cyclists working alongside the current 1.

Referring to the new scheme, he mentioned: “It is really improved than absolutely nothing (for pedestrians) but it’s going to induce so a great deal disruption. I consider it should really have absent out to session at minimum.”

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Oystermouth councillor Myles Langstone, who is the Conservative applicant for Gower at this year’s Senedd elections, also stated people in the area ought to have a say.

He has commenced a petition contacting on the council to reconsider.

Cllr Langstone felt a different bridge for walkers and cyclists alongside was the finest remedy.

“Plainly, the proposal for Pentre Street Bridge would be a visitors nightmare and demands an urgent rethink,” he claimed.

In her Fb post, Ms Evans explained the new pavement would be a going for walks and biking route, but the council said it was just for pedestrians.

But the new plan could assistance the council secure long term funding for a cycle route between Pontarddulais and Grovesend, which would make use of the pavement.

Cllr Mark Thomas, cupboard member for atmosphere enhancement and infrastructure administration, explained people today had questioned the council to make the bridge a safer possibility for pedestrians, and that pace surveys showed automobiles travelling at very well about 30mph across it.

He said: “Solutions these kinds of as constructing a new individual footbridge have been mentioned but expenditures for this have produced this option unfeasible.”

He added: “Surveys of present-day traffic flows have also proven that the introduction of website traffic lights at the bridge would have tiny or no effect on site visitors flows in possibly way.”

© Community Rail
A aspect-on view of the bridge

A area of Pentre Street was closed among Pontarddulais and Gorseinon past November for six months for the Network Rail bridge undertaking. Motorists are working with a Pontlliw and Penllergaer diversion as an alternative.

Many inhabitants expressed anger about the new pavement and visitors lights in response to Ms Evans’ Facebook post.

Ian Davies wrote: “The typical consensus is that this is a terrible notion. It will make very long targeted visitors queues at occupied periods, and will just annoy countless numbers of motorists.

“A separate cycle-strolling lane desires to be hung off one side of the bridge, negating the want to utilise just one of the present website traffic lanes.”

Rachel Keatley wrote: “Awful idea. This will lead to chaos. For the quantity of the time this has been closed there really should be at the very least a wider road/pavement making it possible for obtain for all.”

Two times afterwards Ms Evans wrote on Facebook that she’d asked for a assembly with Cllr Thomas to go over people’s concerns, but added that there experienced been strong guidance for trying to obtain a risk-free way of crossing the railway line for pedestrians and cyclists when Community Rail wrote to house owners within a 3-mile radius of the bridge in advance of its task acquired underneath way.

Numerous people then claimed they hadn’t gained the Community Rail letter.

But a different, Thomas Evans, voiced his guidance for the new pavement scheme, declaring there was not area for a pedestrian or bicycle owner when two motor vehicles even larger than a automobile crossed the bridge at the exact same time.

He wrote: “Indeed, that won’t happen typically, but it does transpire and if it will save someone getting damage then undoubtedly it’s truly worth it.”