Ryde Pier walkway closed for interchange works

A new pedestrian walkway on an Isle of Wight pier has been closed for the second time since it opened.

The pathway, which links Ryde Pier Head and Ryde Esplanade, opened in June following a year of building works.

Ferry operator Wightlink said the closure was needed while work was carried out to the new Ryde travel interchange.

Another temporary closure was put in place in June, a week after the walkway opened.

The work will see the route connected to the new transport hub on Ryde Esplanade and it is expected to remain shut until 10 December.

Wightlink said: "The FastCat service will not be affected and pedestrians will be asked to use the pathway along the road pier during this time."

Built in 1814, Ryde Pier is the UK's oldest and the second-longest seaside pier in the country at half a mile long.

The new walkway was built on the Victorian cast-iron piles of the old tramway, next to the railway pier.

The works to the pier are part of a £10m project by Isle of Wight Council as part of the government's Transforming Cities Fund to upgrade Ryde Transport Interchange.

It includes improvements to Ryde Esplanade railway and bus stations, and enhanced cycle links.

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