51��¥

When the bridge initially collapsed, the County Council cut back vegetation on the Worcester bound side of the A449 to make the road wider and ensure pedestrians and cyclists could use the road safely while the bridge was assessed.  

The same process was followed on the Malvern bound section of the A449 to accommodate cyclists who are not confident to join the existing on-carriageway route.

Cones were also introduced in the carriageway to protect pedestrians and cyclists from large vehicles. These will now be replaced with more permanent milestone bollards, which take up less space, as the repair work on Powick Old Bridge begins.

A 5 night closure will take place beginning on Tuesday 27 August for the bollards installation. A temporary 30mph speed limit will also be put in place for the duration of the temporary route arrangement.

Councillor Marc Bayliss, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at 51��¥, said: “These new measures will ensure that cyclists and pedestrians will be able to continue to use the pedestrian and cycle route that Powick Old Bridge falls on whilst the repair works are being undertaken. The temporary measures worked well during the assessment phase so I’m pleased that a more permanent measure will be put in place.”

Dan Brothwell, Chair of Bike Worcester added: “The cycling community are very pleased to see this improvement to the temporary diversion, and it’s fantastic that officers have engaged collaboratively with us throughout the process since the bridge collapse to provide a workable solution for all users.”

Vegetation that encroaches on the footway will be cut back next week, following the completion of an Ecology assessment.

The County Council has worked closely to the guidance set out in LTN 1/20 for these temporary proposals, which states that cyclists and pedestrians must be offered a level of protection above paint on the road and that we should not mix cyclists with traffic above 20mph.