Footbridge Winsleyhillbridgev3
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WHTAG/WPC/LSPC/01/01 February 2018 To: Winsley Parish Council Limpley Stoke Parish Council WINSLEY HILL BRIDGE - PROPOSAL FOR PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE PURPOSE OF THE PAPER The purpose of this paper is to summarise the result of an investigation into the need for and the viability of installing a pedestrian bridge parallel to Bridge No 175 that crosses the Kennet and Avon Canal on Winsley Hill and seek support of Winsley Parish Council and Limpley Stoke Parish Council for launching a project to install such a bridge. BACKGROUND The B3108 road runs west from Bradford on Avon to Bath, and connects the villages of Winsley and Limpley Stoke. The B3108 is a short cut from Bath into northern Wiltshire, bypassing the A4 further north. However, for that to work most people leave Bath on either Bathwick or Widcombe Hill, and then descend Brassknocker Hill. From the set of traffic lights on the A36 the road leads to Limpley Stoke but then turns sharp left, under the railway, over the river and then starts the ascent of Winsley Hill, almost immediately crossing the Canal too. The clearance under the railway bridge (3.6M) restricts Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) from using this route. Hence the number of HGV in the AADF figure is relatively low. Although categorised a ‘B’ road and hence under the control of Wiltshire Council rather than Highways England, it is a busy road that feeds commuters and visitors to Bath and onwards from various towns to the east, such as Trowbridge and Melksham, as well as Bradford on Avon. Further housing developments in those towns to meet Wiltshire’s housing requirements defined in the Wiltshire Core Strategy, are likely to add to the volume of traffic using the B3108. In comparison with other roads in the area the B3108 takes 6913 vehicles per day, whereas the A36 (Limpley Stoke Hill) takes 12914 and the A363 (Sally in the Woods) takes 8693 vehicles per day. (All AADF figures. 2016 DfT). The A36 is part of the England’s strategic road network and the A363 is part of England’s main road network. Although the figure for the B3108 is lower than either the A36 or the A363, they are significant, which coupled with traffic issues such as excess speed represents a significant risk to the community. The B3108 crosses the Kennet and Avon canal at Bridge No 175, approximately 1.6 km west of Winsley and 2/3rds of the way down Winsley Hill. The bridge is wide enough to accommodate two vehicles passing side by side but there is neither a pathway nor sufficient space for pedestrians to cross the bridge on the roadway while two vehicles are passing on the bridge. On the east side of the bridge (Winsley direction) there is a pathway on the north side of the road although it finishes 18 m before the bridge. Up to that point the pathway is separated from the eastbound (uphill) traffic by a grass verge. Occasionally, vehicles block the footpath by parking and straddling the verge. This is a traffic violation but is regarded as low priority by the local police. When that happens to approach the bridge from the east, pedestrians must step into the road. To the west of the bridge (Bath direction), the pathway is very often blocked by parked vehicles. These vehicles appear to belong to ‘live aboard’ canal users, people using the canal for recreation purposes (walkers and cyclists) and others visiting the heritage sites at Dundas viaduct and at Avoncliff 1 viaduct. The towpath along the canal between Bath and Bradford on Avon forms part of National Cycle Network Route No 4, which runs from London to Fishguard. In recent years, works to add a pathway under the railway bridge and works to put a pathway along the road from the railway bridge towards the Hop Pole pub in Limpley Stoke have been undertaken by Wiltshire Council. The flow of traffic under the railway bridge is controlled by road markings (traffic heading east is supposed to give way to traffic heading towards Bath). Although traffic heading towards Limpley Stoke from the railway junction is expected to ‘give way’ to traffic from the opposite direction, vehicles mount the pathway between the railway bridge and the Hop Pole pub to allow oncoming traffic to pass. Nevertheless, both measures do go some way to safeguarding pedestrians walking between Limpley Stoke towards the canal and onwards towards Winsley. The absence of any means of separating traffic from pedestrians approaching and then crossing the Kennet and Avon canal on Winsley Hill is a gap in provision and represents a major safety risk to all pedestrians. For those walking the route who have mobility issues and/or visual and audio impairment, as well as those accompanied by young children either walking alongside adults or in a pushchair. Moreover, when traffic flow is impeded because of vehicles giving way to pedestrians crossing the bridge etc, there is a reduction in fuel efficiency for those vehicles as they must restart their ascent of Winsley Hill. Although this is unlikely to have a significant effect on air quality in the area, the potential effect on pedestrians walking alongside traffic that is restarting after giving way, is a serious issue. As part of Winsley Parish Council’s work to develop a Neighbourhood Plan, in 2013/2014, it surveyed the community to determine key issues. Although the Neighbourhood Plan was abandoned, the outcome of the survey was used to set priorities for work in the community. Traffics issues related to the B3108 were identified as serious concern and consequently the Parish Council has led work to improve safety along the B3108. Rcently the Parish Council responded to Winsley Hill Traffic Action Group’s request for assistance in dealing with both speed and safety issues related to traffic using Winsley Hill and has sponsored the development of plans for an interim solution that will identify to traffic the risk of encountering pedestrians on the bridge and by using road markings define a ‘safe haven’ for pedestrians. The topographical survey instigated by Wiltshire Council on behalf of the Parish Council is awaited (Wiltshire Council advised it would be completed by end of January 2018). METHOD This proposal was developed post a review of local circumstances and solutions to similar that are already in place across both Wiltshire and the UK. Where appropriate, development of this proposal has been supported by meetings with individuals from organisations identified as potential stakeholders. The outcome of those meetings are summarised in this paper. Likely costs of installing a pedestrian bridge and timescale are also presented. LOCAL CIRCUMSTANCES Between 2014 and 2015 there was a 6.5% increase in traffic along the B3108 (Winsley). That increase is based on the Annual Average Daily Flow (AADF), which is defined as ‘the average over a full year of the number of vehicles passing a point in the road network each day’. During the same period the traffic volumes on the A36 and A363 both increased by 0.17% and 0.36% respectively. Of the traffic that travelled along the B3108 in 2015, 0.8% was HGV, whereas the comparable figures for the A36 and A363 were 4% and 3%. Interestingly, during 2015 using the 2 AADF figures the proportion of cyclists using the B3108 was 1.4% of AADF, whereas the figure for the A36 was 0.09% and for the A363 the figure was 0.06%. The volume of traffic is expected to increase as housing developments in Bradford, Trowbridge and Melksham are completed. At peak times this will result in traffic queuing onto bridge no 175, while waiting for the traffic lights on the A36 to change. Although Winsley Parish Council has instigated work in conjunction with Wiltshire Council, to mark- out a haven for pedestrians on the road surface over the bridge, the solution still provides no protection to pedestrians from other road users. During initial consultation with the unitary authority, it was made clear to both WHTAG and Parish Council representatives that a physical solution that reduced the width of the carriageway and incorporated a raised pathway on the bridge, could not be installed. Reasons for discounting this course of action included the fact the ‘sight line’ for vehicles approaching the bridge from the east (Winsley) was insufficient and that the bridge parapet would have to be raised to 1.2M above the surface of the pathway. Currently, the parapet is 06.5M above the surface of the roadway. Hence the bride would have to be modified significantly. Moreover, restricting the width of the carriageway would lead to the traffic slowing, occasionally stopping and then starting again, ultimately reduced vehicle performance in terms of fuel consumption and exacerbating air quality issues in the area surrounding the bridge. Furthermore, this solution would still leave a gap between the bridge and the start of the segregated footpath (see Figure 1). 37 Metres 5.9 Metres 8.50M Grassed Verge 2.1 Metres Footpath Grassed Verge B3108 To Bradford One Metre Rough Stone Wall Cemented Top Dressed Stone Parapets Steep Slope (Clear of Vegetation) Grassed Verge Access Lane to Towpath 8.6 Metres Timothy Rise Farm Grassed Verge 5.5 Meters 3.3 Metres 1.3 Metres Kennet and Avon Canal Pasture Land (Conkwell Grange) Vegetation BT Cabling 4 Metres (Comprising ash trees and scrub) Access Point 8 Metres 3M Access Grassed Gate Verge Grassed Verge Hedge Figure 1 – Schematic of Current Layout of Bridge and Road at Bridge 175 Kennet and Avon Canal CASE STUDIES Examples of pedestrian bridges installed parallel to road bridges crossing the Kennet & Avon Canal have been identified at Hilperton, outside of Trowbridge and at Bradford on Avon.