National Highways confirmed it completed a ‘feasibility’ study about replacing the A5036 footbridge, but said it was ‘unaffordable’
The Pedestrian bridge closed at Dunnings Bridge Road after being struck by an HGV in 2022 , before it was torn down(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
People continue to raise the alarm about a busy stretch of road in Merseyside and are worried about the danger it presents to local primary school children. The issue relates to the crossing of Dunnings Bridge Road in Bootle, which once had a footbridge connecting two parts of a close-knit community.
In October 2022 the footbridge over Park Lane, in Netherton, was found to be “no longer safe for pedestrians to use” after a lorry hit it earlier in the same month.
A decision was then taken to demolish the bridge over the A5036 which was completed two weeks after the initial collision. At the time, Sefton Council said the footbridge had provided a “vital crossing point for the local community and amenities such as Our Lady of Walsingham Primary School”. As a result, National Highways (NH) confirmed its intention to “replace the bridge completely”.
However, the Liverpool ECHO reported last month, NH’s decision to shelve those plans due to concerns around “affordability”. This prompted a fierce reaction from concerned parents who described their “terror” at crossing the busy road. Those parents said they are negotiating a twice-daily school trip – with young children – and they do not believe the current set-up is safe.
Damage to the pedestrian bridge on Dunnings Bridge Road before it was demolished in 2022(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Every person the ECHO spoke to said they wanted the footbridge replaced and felt the new proposals set out by National Highways – including the possibility of an additional pedestrian crossing – are not robust enough to adequately address the concerns within the local community.
One of the parents we spoke to was Ms Arrowsmith who said her four-year-old son attends the nearby primary school. She said: “I would love to see the footbridge back, everyone would and it should be a massive priority. It almost feels like they’re waiting for a child to die before they’ll actually agree to put it back.”
Sefton Council leader, Cllr Marion Atkinson appeared on BBC Radio Merseyside this afternoon and responded to a range of questions about Bootle Strand, Southport Pier and air quality issues in South Sefton. However, one of the more emotive questions related to the ongoing disquiet about the defunct footbridge proposal on the A5036.
Local resident Pauline phoned in and raised the issue with Cllr Atkinson, she said: “In connection with them [National Highways] not replacing the public footbridge on Dunnings Bridge Road, I honestly can’t explain how I feel about this decision.
“I think it’s absolutely disgraceful. I’ve been a resident of the Park Lane estate for 60 years, so I grew up as a child crossing that bridge daily, and I really fear for the children crossing that road.”
Cllr Atkinson responded: “[National Highways] said that they’re not going to replace the bridge. They’ve replaced the bridge with a pedestrian crossing and Pauline is absolutely right. There are hundreds of children that cross that road to go to Our Lady Of Walsingham RC Primary School and that’s a very busy road.”
Traffic build up on the A5036 near the crossing to Our Lady Of Walsingham R C Primary School (Image: LDRS)
BBC Radio Merseyside presenter, Tony Snell asked a question which was echoed by Pauline. He said: “Do we have to wait for a child to be knocked over and, God forbid, killed before anybody does anything about this?”
Cllr Atkinson added: “We will keep on fighting for the bridge. The MP Peter Dowd – he is absolutely outraged about this – and we will keep fighting for this bridge.
“It’s very clear, we’ve listened to local people and I agree with you [Pauline]. I 100% agree with you. We have to keep on putting the pressure on Highways England to get this bridge back.”
She added: “People are outraged about this, and we have to keep on fighting. We have to keep on telling our story about how much this is needed. It is [National Highways] responsibility and we just have to keep calling them out on it.”
Responding previously to concerns raised by the local community in September, a National Highways spokesperson said: “We’re upgrading the Park Lane junction with A5036 Dunnings Bridge Road to deliver cyclist and pedestrian crossing points on all four of its arms, creating easier and safer journeys for everyone.
“We completed a feasibility study on replacing the footbridge over the A5036, but current design requirements mean it would not work and was unaffordable – so we are exploring options that work best for cyclists, parents with pushchairs and people with mobility issues.”