A two-way street bridge near Pontarddulais will turn into solitary file to accommodate a pavement, prompting anger from quite a few people in the region.
Swansea Council has agreement from Network Rail, which is strengthening the Pentre Highway bridge – just south of the M4 – to set up a pavement to assistance pedestrians who at this time have to stroll on to the highway to cross it.
The adjust will final result in traffic lights currently being put possibly facet of the bridge.
Individuals living in the space only identified out about it when Gower MS Rebecca Evans posted pics and an update on Fb past Thursday, according to Pontarddulais councillor Kevin Griffiths.
Cllr Griffiths stated pedestrians had crossed the bridge very carefully for decades, and that there had been chat of a independent bridge for walkers and cyclists operating together with the current one particular.
Referring to the new scheme, he explained: “It is really superior than absolutely nothing (for pedestrians) but it is really going to cause so a great deal disruption. I assume it really should have long gone out to consultation at minimum.”
Locate out about traffic and journey troubles exactly where you live:
Oystermouth councillor Myles Langstone, who is the Conservative candidate for Gower at this year’s Senedd elections, also said persons in the space need to have a say.
He has started off a petition calling on the council to reconsider.
Cllr Langstone felt a independent bridge for walkers and cyclists alongside was the very best remedy.
“Evidently, the proposal for Pentre Street Bridge would be a targeted traffic nightmare and wants an urgent rethink,” he claimed.
In her Facebook post, Ms Evans reported the new pavement would be a walking and biking route, but the council said it was just for pedestrians.
But the new scheme could help the council protected potential funding for a cycle route in between Pontarddulais and Grovesend, which would make use of the pavement.
Cllr Mark Thomas, cupboard member for environment enhancement and infrastructure management, explained people had asked the council to make the bridge a safer alternative for pedestrians, and that velocity surveys showed motor vehicles travelling at very well around 30mph across it.
He claimed: “Possibilities such as setting up a new independent footbridge have been discussed but expenses for this have designed this choice unfeasible.”
He extra: “Surveys of existing traffic flows have also demonstrated that the introduction of traffic lights at the bridge would have tiny or no influence on traffic flows in both course.”
© Network Rail
A aspect-on see of the bridge
![a stone bridge: A side-on view of the bridge](https://www.msn.com/en-gb/finance/other/anger-at-plan-to-make-swansea-bridge-one-way-with-traffic-lights/"default":"load":"default","w":"80","h":"53","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB1d8JMy.img?h=532&w=799&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f","size3column":"load":"default","w":"62","h":"42","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB1d8JMy.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f","size2column":"load":"default","w":"62","h":"42","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB1d8JMy.img?h=416&w=624&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f")
A portion of Pentre Street was shut involving Pontarddulais and Gorseinon previous November for six months for the Community Rail bridge undertaking. Motorists are working with a Pontlliw and Penllergaer diversion in its place.
Several inhabitants expressed anger about the new pavement and targeted visitors lights in response to Ms Evans’ Fb article.
Ian Davies wrote: “The general consensus is that this is a awful thought. It will build prolonged site visitors queues at fast paced instances, and will just annoy hundreds of motorists.
“A different cycle-going for walks lane wants to be hung off 1 aspect of the bridge, negating the need to utilise 1 of the present targeted traffic lanes.”
Rachel Keatley wrote: “Awful idea. This will result in chaos. For the total of the time this has been closed there really should be at the very least a broader road/pavement enabling entry for all.”
Two times later on Ms Evans wrote on Facebook that she’d requested a assembly with Cllr Thomas to focus on people’s problems, but additional that there experienced been robust help for making an attempt to obtain a secure way of crossing the railway line for pedestrians and cyclists when Community Rail wrote to homeowners in just a 3-mile radius of the bridge just before its venture bought less than way.
Many individuals then claimed they hadn’t received the Network Rail letter.
But an additional, Thomas Evans, voiced his assistance for the new pavement scheme, declaring there was not room for a pedestrian or cyclist when two autos even bigger than a motor vehicle crossed the bridge at the exact same time.
He wrote: “Sure, that isn’t going to materialize generally, but it does come about and if it saves somebody having harm then certainly it truly is really worth it.”