£2.6m improvement plan for Hoole Bridge in Chester

POSSIBLE improvements to Hoole Bridge for cyclists and pedestrians costing up to £2.6m are likely to land in the in-tray of the new Cheshire West and Chester Council.

But county councillors are due to hear at a meeting on Wednesday, February 25 that a proposed multi-storey car park planned by Network Rail could mean a new footbridge for pedestrians or for pedestrians and cyclists would never be feasible unless a strip of land is snapped up.

The 30 page feasibility study has been drawn up by Cheshire County Council following a notice of motion submitted by city centre councillor Peter Byrne (Lab).

Cllr Byrne argued that due to the danger to pedestrians and cyclists, as well as motorists, County Engineer Steve Kent, who is now director of environment at the new council, should carry out a study to see how pedestrians and cyclists could be separated from cars, vans, lorries and buses on the narrow bridge, what this would cost and how long it would take.

The bridge carries 21,000 vehicles a day, 87% of which are cars.

The remainder of the traffic, involving light and heavy goods vehicles and buses, is said to be "a high percentage" for a route of that type.

Nearly 300 cyclists cross the bridge in a 12 hour period and almost 3,000 pedestrians.

Footways on the bridge are 1.5m wide and do not meet current standards, according to chief bridges engineer John Violet.

There is no separate provision for cyclists and for pedestrians there is "just enough width" for two to cross side-by-side.

It is possible for a lorry wing mirror to clip a pedestrian if the lorry is running very close to the kerb.

The road itself is too narrow for a cycle to pass at the same time as two cars are passing and many cyclists use the footway instead of the road.

Four options have been considered, three involving a new footbridge on the station side of the bridge.

Costs range from almost £600,000 for alterations to the footways on the bridge itself, involving an 18 week closure of the bridge, to up to £2.6m for a new footbridge on the station side of the bridge.

This would run close to a possible multi storey car park on the existing car park at the top of Brook Street and would not be feasible if the land could not be acquired.