Since being elected two weeks ago, one of County Councillor Derek Kennedy’s key priorities has been to ascertain the position on the proposed closure of the Hexham Rail Bridge. As you may know, County Council announced the closure but provided very little detail and explanation.
Derek Kennedy said “I wrote to the Council and asked several questions. These have now been answered. The County Council inform me that:
The Rail Bridge will be closed from Monday 6 June 2016 for 6 weeks to water-proof the structure as part of the maintenance program.”
Additionally, Derek asked the Council
- could one lane on the Bridge be kept open to allow the free flow of traffic? Council response – No, due to the need for safe working the bridge will be closed for all vehicles.
- will pedestrians and cyclists be able to cross the Rail Bridge? Council response – Yes, the Rail Bridge will be open to pedestrians and cyclists to cross.
- if the businesses on the north side of the Bridge including Egger, the Mart, etc will be able to operate and move freely to the A69? Council response – Yes, businesses will be able to operate and access the A69.
- as the Fire Service is located on the northern side of the Bridge, will contingency measures be implemented? Council response – The Fire Service are looking to locate an appliance on the south side of the Bridge to assist their operations.
- what are the diversion routes for traffic heading in and out of Hexham and are there any contingency measures? Council response – Diversions will the Corbridge Road from the east and the West Road from the west. There is no other contingency arrangements.
- will the railway station from the north and south side be accessible? Council response – The railway station will be accessible and free to operate on both the north and south side.
Councillor Derek Kennedy said “I am very disappointed the Rail Bridge will be closed in its entirety for all road traffic for the whole of the 6 weeks The closure is bound to have an effect on the economy of the Town. I am also very concerned that literally hundreds of extra vehicles will now use the West Road to turn east on to the A69. This junction is very dangerous with traffic speeds at their maximum as the A69 changes from being a dual carriage into a single carriage at this point. I will be examining the Council’s plans further and pressing for safety controls.“