Bridge repairs will be disruptive, councillor says

Urgent repair works on a city centre bridge that provides a critical transport link have been approved by City of York Council.

Lendal Bridge, which links Station Road and Museum Street across the River Ouse, will be closed to vehicles for eight weeks from April for the work to take place.

Pedestrians will still be able to use the bridge and the authority is considering how to enable cycle access, according to councillor Kate Ravilious, executive member for transport.

However, some commuters and business owners have said they are "apprehensive" about the impact of the closure.

At a transport executive decision meeting, Ravilious approved the recommendation for the £1.9m project to begin next year.

She warned that it would be disruptive but that to not act "would risk expensive emergency work at a time not of our choosing".

"It's a 150-year-old bridge and a critical transport link in the York network," she said.

"It was last repaired 20 years ago or more."

A report found the Grade II listed Victorian cast iron bridge had "significant corrosion and deterioration".

Repairs will include road resurfacing, metalwork and waterproofing.

Non-essential works worth £1.3m could begin at the same time and last for almost nine months, the local authority said, but would only require the closure of a single footway.

Sophie Knight owns two cafes in York, one of which is located on Lendal Bridge.

She said while she understood the need for the repairs to take place and supported the project, she felt "a little apprehensive" about how it could affect deliveries reaching her premises.

The cafe has an outdoor seating area which is a big draw for customers, she said.

"Our garden, from probably April right through until October half-term, is the biggest selling point," she said.

"Are people going to want to sit out there when there's construction work going on on the bridge? Probably not, so that will absolutely affect us."

However, her team would keep turning up and "go with the flow" as they knew the works were essential, she said.

Claire, a York resident, said her commute took her across Lendal Bridge every day.

"I drive into work and that is the quickest route," she said.

"It's going to massively affect the journey, but it'll just mean we have to take a longer route and leave a bit earlier."

Another regular visitor to York said he and his wife travelled in by the Park & Ride bus service.

"Certainly when the road closed previously near the railway museum, it affected the journey time, and it will probably do that again," he said.

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.