Forge Island footbridge works completed ahead of schedule

Latest news in Yorkshire: August 05, 2017 01:08:54 PM


Work on the pedestrian bridge linking Forge Island to the town centre has been completed more than a week ahead of schedule.


The work – which started on Monday 24 July and was expected to last three weeks – has seen the removal of the roof and boarded-up side panels to make the bridge ‘light, bright, and airy’.


The work, carried out by Peninsula Access Ltd, is part of improvements in and around the Forge Island site as work continues to prepare it for development.


The site, which Rotherham Council purchased from Tesco in February, is set to play a major part in plans to regenerate the town centre.


Following demolition of the former Tesco building, a Masterplan* was published last month and the Council has also acquired the Law Courts, adjacent to the site.


As the Council now prepares to seek a partner to help deliver the plans – a formal tender will go out in the Autumn - it is also opening up one of Rotherham’s ‘well-trodden’ landmarks.


Rotherham Council’s Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy Cllr Denise Lelliott said she was pleased to see the footbridge re-opened again so quickly.


She said: “We hope that by opening it up it will be much more pleasant for people to walk through on their way into town and address some of the issues we’ve had reported about anti-social behaviour.


“It’s great that the works were completed ahead of schedule to minimise any inconvenience to shoppers and others who use the car park on a regular basis.”


Forge Island currently has 300 parking spaces for visitors to the town centre, which are free all-day at weekends. In addition, shoppers can park for free for two hours in the car park’s ‘red zone’ on weekdays.


Following the demolition of Tesco, work is currently taking place to provide a further 200 temporary parking spaces which will also be free all day each weekend.


York Road car park, near the town centre, also has 100-bay free all-day weekend parking.

Yorkshire Photography


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