A date has been given for the reopening of the stairs on the Bowes Road footbridge. London Assembly Member Joanne McCartney AM, who has spent 18 months campaigning for the steps to reopen, received confirmation that access will be reinstated next March. Joanne McCartney took her campaign directly to the Mayor of London when Transport for London were unable to provide a new estimated open date after missing their original target of April 2015. Ms McCartney welcomed the news but said the confirmation had been “a long time coming”.
Writing to Ms McCartney, the Mayor of London confirmed that full access to the Bowes Road footbridge will be reinstated on 29th March next year, two years on from when the stairs were first closed. Whilst the ramps on the footbridge have remained accessible, concerns have been raised by Ms McCartney and a number of local residents over the safety of school children who are unlikely to use the ramps but cross the busy North Circular Road.
TfL’s initial investigation into the cause of the structural failure proved inconclusive but a more detailed analysis and modelling of the structure to establish the cause of the fault should conclude this month.
The structure was first installed in 2012 but a structural failure of pin joints on the stairs have required them to be closed to the public since March 2014.
Local Labour London Assembly Member Joanne McCartney AM said:
“Whilst it’s been a long time coming, I’m happy that local residents finally have a new proposed date for the reopening of the stairs. With the footbridge allowing residents to avoid the busy North Circular Road, the closure of the stairs has understandably caused a lot of concern in the local community.
“It’s frustrating that local people have had to wait so long for these repairs to be carried out. It’s equally frustrating that TfL’s communication with residents on this matter has been so poor. I appreciate that this has been a complex issue but TfL must ensure the local community are fully informed of any restrictions in the future
“It’s now down to TfL to ensure the repairs are carried out successfully so that we can avoid this inconvenience again.”
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