News vacuum on Cleveland Bridge
Well here we are, Thursday 28th May, and no updates since March. Do have a look for yourself here. This is despite two requests to the Highways Council Officers and being on the engineers’ news update mailing list. The bridge is due to close completely next week.
Why are we interested, here in Camden?
Well, drivers travelling E<->W and N<->S through Bath are impeded from using the orthodox route over Cleveland Bridge as it is currently single lane operation, and is due to close completely from the beginning of next month. The recommended alternative is to use the next most obvious route along Roman Road and George Street and Queen’s Square. This will snarl up much of the time, much as it does at peak times now, and the Walcot cut throughs avoiding Roman Road and London Road up to Camden Road would seem the obvious choices. But…. the Council says its modelling tool reckons this will not happen, believe it or not! If it does, they have reassured us that they will intervene by imposing emergency powers whatever they might be. Meanwhile on the south side of Cleveland Bridge the snarling up is very evident, even off peak, from both Widcombe and Bathampton and all along Bathwick Street.
Is no news, good news for us?
This is far from certain. In the absence of any news from official sources, despite asking, the word on the street is much more concerning. There are uncorroborated reports that the scaffolding plan (to support those working under the bridge) is not fit for purpose and the current installation needs removing and starting again. Any delay to the three month closure window will then impact on ‘back to school’, which is an issue for school coaches, school staff and parents.
With so little response from the Council we will have to wait for it to happen and shout loud if it does in the hope of getting emergency powers invoked.
So, two questions for you:
1. Even now, have you noticed significantly more traffic than before using Camden Road and Upper Hedgemead Road?
2. Do you feel as gloomy as we sound about the likely effects of the closure of Cleveland Bridge on our daily lives during the summer and autumn?
You can easily respond to these by replying to this post on the web-site. Thanks in advance.
. Even now, have you noticed significantly more traffic than before using Camden Road and Upper Hedgemead Road?] No ….
2. Do you feel as gloomy as we sound about the likely effects of the closure of Cleveland Bridge on our daily lives during the summer and autumn?] Yes …
Types of vehicle, yes. The massive car transporter which had to mount the pavement on Camden Road today surprised me. I have heard from someone linked to the bridge project that the work will take 12 months. Let’s hope that isn’t the case.
There is much more traffic on Camden Road.
Hate to think what will happen when it is closed.
I would have thought that the council could have allowed traffic through the bus gates to alleviate the congestion problems.
Thanks, David, Rachel and Peter.
1. I think it is busier at peak and there have been occasional awkwardly large vehicles which are getting ensnared.
2. Quite honestly I cannot see why the Camden Road cut-through and its several variants won’t become the route of choice for many whilst the bridge is shut. It’s so much easier and less confusing for car drivers to follow a route that will have little in the way of complication. And even if they start off driving along London Road towards Cleveland Place as soon as it is obvious that they are confronted with a long queue why won’t they hang a right up the various hills to Camden Road. As to what measures the highways officers would put in place if it does get exceptionally busy creates the double unknown – what is ‘exceptionally busy’ and what might those measures be?
Finally, it would be good to be prepared to provide evidence of the road getting exceptionally busier as and when total closure happens. More news – if and when the CRA gets it from the Council.