Residents worry as bridges to be shut at same time

Residents say they are "very worried" ahead of a second bridge closure in their area, coinciding with the new school year.

Netheridge Swing Bridge, which carries Secunda Way over the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, will close from 1-12 September for emergency repair works following months of temporary traffic lights and delays.

It comes after the repairs to the nearby pedestrian Lower Hempsted Bridge, which closed in April for what was meant to be three weeks, were extended to mid-September due to delays in sourcing materials.

Gloucestershire County Council apologised and said it was necessary to halt the work to ensure that it was being carried out to the correct specification.

Dave Bucknell, highways representative for the Hempsted Residents Association, said the pedestrian bridge had been posing a risk to those crossing it.

"A grandmother pushing her granddaughter in a pram, the bridge was so uneven with so many potholes that the poor grandchild was nearly turfed out into the canal," he said.

The closure of Netheridge Bridge, the main route south out of Hempsted for those travelling by car, means another way out of the village will be blocked off.

Ian Giles said if Netheridge Bridge is also closed to pedestrians, it will cause more problems for his son, who has scoliosis.

"He physically cannot walk from work in the centre of town, all the way down the bypass to home because of his illness," he said.

"It would be monstrously painful for him."

Jen Caple said the bridge closure has been "very disruptive" when taking her grandson to school.

"It's a good hour and a half out of our day twice," she said.

"An awful lot of people are very worried about it. There are people with mobility issues, particularly people who catch the village bus that takes them around to the main doctors surgery that have no other means of getting there."

In an update earlier this month, the Canal and River Trust apologised for any inconvenience while the bridge is closed for safety reasons during the works.

Gloucestershire County Council added: "We have been working with the Canal and River Trust to ensure the repairs to the bridge can be completed as soon as possible.

"The Hempsted Pedestrian Bridge is also awaiting repairs. This bridge is the responsibility of the Canal and River Trust, with work scheduled for late September."

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