New Footbridge at Patchway

[madhattie]

A new temporary footbridge is being constructed at Patchway which will allow the old (and original) footbridge to be removed and renovated.

The new bridge is in place, but not yet in use.






(Trust the sun to come out for the first time in four days!!)

Cheers to Mark Lippiatt for the tip-off

[James]

which will allow the old (and original) footbridge to be removed and renovated

What's that supposed to mean? It'll be replaced, not renovated surely? Another part of original railway "furniture" disappears...

[madhattie]

which will allow the old (and original) footbridge to be removed and renovated

What's that supposed to mean? It'll be replaced, not renovated surely? Another part of original railway "furniture" disappears...

My understanding is, and I could be wrong here, that they're going to swing the old bridge away from the running lines and completely renovate it. Once done, it's going back in.

I believe, and again could be wrong, that there's a lot of remedial work required to the underside of the bridge which obviously can't be clad in scaffolding and have people working under there while it's across the tracks.

[nocturnal andy]

Another part of original railway "furniture" disappears...

Whats so 'original' about it? Its probably been there since 1960, not 1860.

I love the old stuff as much as anyone else but with things like footbridges potentially theres lives at risk. Ask anyone that walked across the old rusting, slanted and wobbly (in strong winds) footbridge on Bath Road in Bridgwater before it was replaced in the late 90s. As great as it looked, it was still a death trap...

[James]

Neglect results in the decay of many structures...if there was a little maintenance every once in a while then they wouldn't get in a "life-threatening" state.

[James]

http://www.great-western.fotopic.net/p38353358.html

It looks like the refurbished footbridge is back in position at Patchway...when did that happen?

[madhattie]

I photographed it back in place last November, but don't know when it was re-erected.

[JAY]

i think but can't be sure that when i went thorugh there on november 21st 2006 on a paddington bound HST the original bridge was back up across the line.

[James]

Good to see the open mesh sides have been retained, but the roof supports have gone the same way as the roof!

[madhattie]

I know, it's a bit strange to go to all that trouble to renovate it and then completely change the thing!

I wonder how much it cost to repair it as compared to replacing it with something that disabled people could use?

[Rich_Eason]

Good point, it does seem daft to fork out the money to renovate it, but then it is a bit of herritage. For as long as I can remember it was always wobbly in the early 80's.

I'm suprised they didnt canabalise the one from Pilning, the "worlds most inrefequently used station" as thats near enough identical.

To install disabled access ramps would take up alot of room i'd imagine, and wonder if this one reason why is why they have chosen to renovate the old one also may be that they are not obliged to follow the DDA regs by replacing the original one?