Published on Tuesday 30 May 2023
Artists impression of an areal view of the new bridges once completed
Preparatory work for the installation of new walking and cycling bridges across the railway line on Glenferness Avenue in Bournemouth starts on 30 May 2023. Funded through south east Dorset’s Transforming Cities Fund (TCF), the work forms part of a planned sustainable travel route linking Bournemouth town centre and Ferndown.
A four-metre-wide bridge for pedestrians and cyclists will be installed over the railway line on the west side of the road bridge. The existing footbridge on the eastern side of the road bridge will be demolished on site and replaced with a new four-metre-wide pedestrian and cycle bridge. The existing road bridge will remain unaltered.
Initial work, which focuses on moving the mains power line cables and building the bridge foundations, starts on Tuesday 30 May 2023 with two-way temporary traffic lights in place over Glenferness Avenue bridge until 22 June and then from 10 July until 3 September 2023.
Work on the installation of the new pedestrian and cycle bridges, which are being prefabricated off-site, and the cycle route on Glenferness Avenue between Elgin Road and East Avenue will follow later in September.
Councillor Andy Hadley, portfolio holder for climate response, environment and energy at BCP Council said:
"We’re delighted to see this exciting project to build safe bridges for walking and cycling over the railway line on Glenferness Avenue come to fruition. The new bridges are an essential improvement and will give walkers, cyclists, and scooter and mobility aids users a separate, traffic free space to travel. It’s been a pinch point on a busy and important route and these significant improvements will make a real difference to safety, giving people the confidence to walk, scoot or cycle to many key destinations across Bournemouth, Winton and Wallisdown. It’s all part of our commitment to reducing congestion, improving air quality and encouraging healthy, active, safe travel across the area."
More information about the walking and cycling improvements planned along Glenferness Avenue is available here.