"No viable alternative" as Peterborough residents complain of disruption caused by closed bridge
Peterborough City Council has said that there is no viable alternative to a bridge closure, which is causing disruption in the city.
The bridge on Peterborough Road between Stanground and Farcet has been closed for six weeks while vital stress absorption joints are replaced.
The closure began on July 26 and is now over three weeks in. The council has already had to issue a safety warning after being made aware of some people are climbing over barriers and entering the site after it has been closed for the evening.
Residents have also raised concerns about the safety of the diversion, with one resident telling the Peterborough Telegraph that they were forced into an ‘exhausting’ two-hour round-trip walk between Farcet and Stanground just to collect items from the InPost locker.
They also added: “To cross a simple boundary to nearby Stanground amenities during the daily blackout hours or on weekends, vulnerable residents with health complications are forced to either pay out of pocket for private taxis or take an exhausting multi-bus loop through Yaxley and the City Centre.”
Concerns have also been raised regarding the diverted bus services.
Another resident added: “The replacement shuttle operates strictly Mondays to Fridays only—completely locking non-drivers out of weekend travel. Furthermore, the weekday service features a total five-hour blackout period between 10:15 AM and 15:15 PM, and cuts off entirely after 18:15 PM.”
A complaint was submitted to the council regarding the diversion route.
In response,the council’s Central Complaints Office said: “We explored a number of options when considering this project but unfortunately there was no viable option to complete the bearing replacement without closing the bridge. Whilst the bridge joints are being replaced, this is being done under a full closure and diversions are in place.
"The route is using a dedicated footpath, with a crossing facility on Flaxley Road and a signalised pedestrian crossing on the dual carriageway, then the rest is a remote footpath up to Buntings Lane and back on to Peterborough Road. This diversion complies to our statutory requirements for closing the bridge. The signing is being checked and clear. We appreciate that the pedestrian diversion is longer than the closed route but unfortunately there is no viable alternative.
“We appreciate that the closure of this bridge has caused disruption to residents and created complexities for journeys that would usually be straightforward. Unfortunately, the bridge bearing needed replacing and the least disruptive time to complete this vital piece of was during the long summer school break. We would like to apologise for the inconvenience this is causing you and would like to thank you for your patience whilst the remaining works are completed.”
In regards to bus diversions, David Boden, Commercial Director of Stagecoach East, said: “Farcet Bridge is a key part of our Route 5, which allows us to link Stanground and Farcet to Peterborough and Yaxley.
“Our mission is to keep our customers connected. Sadly, we were not consulted on the proposed diversionary route which adds about 20 minutes onto the journey time to Yaxley. In discussions with Peterborough City Council, we did ask about the provision of a shuttle bus.
"The council were unable to fund this, but we are determined to keep as many customers connected as we can, so we have established a shuttle bus which we are operating free of charge at our commercial risk, linking Farcet Church to the Broadway. This was the furthest we could operate to safely turn the bus. Customers can then buy a ticket for travel further on the normal Service 5.
“We have been asked about the top end of Peterborough Road, in Stanground. Our challenge is that the roundabout at the top end of Peterborough Road is currently very busy, the road partially blocked by roadworks, and if we were to divert the 5 Service down there and turn at the Academy, we would further delay Service 5 for all other customers by at least 10 minutes - more if the bus struggles to get out of Peterborough Road. There is still a stop for passengers in this area opposite Aldi on Whittlesey Road. We acknowledge this may be a 10 to 15 minute walk and we are truly sorry for this.”