At lunchtime today, town council staff closed the Ock Valley Walk having been informed of a Health and Safety risk on the bridge at the town end.
People will now walk down the alternative route along Ock Street and breath in all those traffic fumes. Let us hope the closure is not for too long.
What a silly comment to make I am sure the bridge would not have been closed unless the Council hadn’t received good advice. Mischief making me thinks !!!!!
Well considering people drive mobility scooters over it I think it’s probably fine. Trouble is if someone were to fall in then they would sue the council etc etc.
If there is any doubt about the safety of the bridge then there is no altenative to closure. The question to ask is how quickly can it be repaired and reopened ? I hope it is not put at the end of the long “ to do “ list.
I just hope there is a warning sigh at the Drayton Road end of the walk – I’d hate to walk all that way into town only to have to retrace my steps!
…or even a warning “sign” !!
Aren’t they going to build a row of flats along the Ock walk?
Martin, I much prefer the idea of a warning sigh.
Someone could be stationed at either end of the bridge shouting “look out, the bridge is closed *sigh*”
Abingdon’s very own Bridge of Sighs in fact…..
Why is the report about the bridge mischief making? Of course the bridge needs to be made safe, but so does our air quality. The bridge will be repaired before the air pollution can be improved, but it is the latter which is the bigger problem surely.
Keep going, Backstreeter. This blog is a wonderful gift to your fellow citizens.
The traffic fumes along St Helens Wharf and W St Helens Street in the morning traffic jam are appalling. Cars stopped with their engines idling for a long time, especially diesels, create a very unhealthy environment. I feel bad for the residents that have to put up with it daily.
It should be closed by a temporary traffic order or emergency order and signposted at the ends of the footpath. Mind you footpath 8 through the quarry in Sunningwell has a temporary footpath closure that has been temporary for over three years and still temporary ?