MP ‘very pleased’ about temporary plans for closed bridge connecting Suffolk and Essex
The 127-year-old bridge closed in June 2023 due to safety concerns
A Suffolk MP is ‘very pleased’ about new temporary plans for a closed bridge connecting the county to its neighbour, Essex.
Essex Highways announced last Thursday it was exploring provisional options to install a temporary footbridge to allow people and dismounted cyclists to pass over River Stour while Boxted Bridge, in Lower Farm Road, remains closed.
The 127-year-old bridge closed in June 2023 due to safety concerns and has remained shut since, leading to residents to plead with Essex County Council to restore it.
In a Facebook post, South Suffolk MP, James Cartlidge said he was ‘very pleased’ with the announcement and shared a letter between him and Cllr Tom Cunningham, Essex’s lead for highways.
The letter read: “The ongoing closure is cause for concern for road users in South Suffolk — with pedestrians and cyclists being denied access, as well as leisure users of the river below being inconvenienced.
“It is clear that the preferred option is to repair the bridge so that the historic aspects of its 120-year-old architecture are preserved.”
Mr Cartlidge also stressed there was great anxiety among local residents at the possibility of the bridge being replaced with a larger structure which could encourage HGVs to use it as well as the surrounding narrow roads.
The Essex Highways website states the bridge is currently ‘nearing the end of its natural lifespan’, with a 2018 inspection finding corrosion, delamination, deformation, and cracking.
Last month, a bid was sent to Essex County Council outlining the possibility of knocking down and replacing the existing bridge, prompting criticism from local action group, Save Our Bridge.