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FORIMMEDIATERELEASE•11JANUARY2018
Greenironfootbridgeclosure,Kingsweston,BristolBS110UW
NorthBristolcampaigngroupmark800daysofclosedKingswestonfootbridgewith‘Showthelove’rallyandphotocall
LocalswillspellouttheirmessagetoBristolCityCouncilatthe
footbridgeonSunday14January
Thebridgeinallitsglory,fortheTourofBritain2014–andasithasbeensinceNovember2015
FrustratedlocalsinnorthBristolaremarking800dayssinceavital–andhistoric–footbridgewasclosedtopedestriansbyBristolCityCouncil,withapublicrallyshowinghowmuchthebridgeisloved.KingswestonironbridgeisaGradeIIlistedcastironstructure,builtcirca1820bylegendaryroadsengineerJohnLoudonMcAdam(whogavehisnametotarmac).ItformstheonlysafepedestrianlinkbetweentheBlaiseandKingswestonestatesinnorthBristol.Itwasuseddailybyhundredsofdogwalkers,families,schoolchildrenandramblersuntilitwasstruckbyahigh-sidedlorryon4November2015.ThebridgewasswiftlyscaffoldedbyBristolCityCouncilandclosedtopedestrians–andhasnowremainedthiswayforover2yearsand2months.Thisweekmarks800dayssincethebridgewaslastopentofoottraffic.TheFacebookgroupSavetheironbridge–Kingswestonhasover400members,butcampaignersaregrowingfrustratedwiththeCouncil’sslowpaceandpoorcommunicationwithlocals.TheclosureaffectsthousandsofresidentsofSeaMills,Shirehampton,CombeDingleandLawrenceWeston,aswellasmanyvisitorsfromthewiderBristolarea.
TheyareurginganyonewhousesorcaresaboutthefutureofthebridgetojointhemthisSunday,10-11amandattachtheirmessagesofsupporttothebridge.Messageswillbepinnedtothescaffoldingaroundthebridgeandthenputondisplaylocally.“AlthoughBristolCouncilhassaidit’scommittedtorepairingthebridge,sofarwehaveonlyhadwordsandnoaction,”sayeventorganisersEllaDaviesandDanLinstead.“Weappreciatebudgetsaretight,butweneedtheCounciltoactnowratherthanlater.Withthefootbridgeclosed,localsareforcedtocrossthenotoriouslybusyKingswestonroad,withtrafficcomingfastandunexpectedlyinbothdirections.Itisonlyamatteroftimebeforesomeoneisseriouslyinjuredorworse.”GroupmembersandlocalcouncillorswillmeetatthebridgethisSunday14thJanuaryat10am(pressphotocallat11am)toraiseawarenessaheadofafullcouncilmeetingonMonday.FormoreinformationandtojointheFacebookgroup,visitgreenironbridge.com.Formediacomment,contactorganisersEllaDavies([email protected],07707125227)orDanLinstead([email protected],07866551632)
Thebridgedatestoc1820andhasbeenamuch-lovedandusedlocallandmarkforgenerations
