Why swap bridge plan for bus lane?

9:30am Thursday 21st August 2008

Comments (1)   Have your say »

SIR – Mr Hobbs, county transport supremo, says we won’t be getting the needed north roadbridge because the Government won’t pay for it.

Instead we’ll avoid gridlock by adding bus lanes. Worcester’s massive expansion is only supposed to proceed if necessary transport infrastructure is in place first. True to form, the county council has fallen at the first hurdle. As well as preventing traffic gridlock, the north bridge would allow access to the west during inevitable future severe flooding, which totally isolated St John’s just 12 months ago.

I might be missing something but how can bus lanes be added to existing roads that can’t be widened? Martley Road, Oldbury Road or Bromyard Road can’t possibly be widened.

Bromyard Road at St John’s must already be well over capacity carrying the existing traffic load.

Worcester’s restrictive existing road network is not suitable for bolting on additional lanes (unlike new towns) and is one of the many reasons Worcester is totally unsuitable for such large scale development (the fifth largest planned expansion in England).

Come on, county council. If you’re not applying for funding for the bridge please reveal credible alternatives.

TIM MYERS,

Worcester.