Quod oculus meus videt

By GrahamColling

The Old (Not so Safe) Bridge

I got on my soapbox back in January 2018, when my former employers deemed it necessary to construct this decking (and handrails) over the original sleeper bridge in a disused section of canal near my home.

Since then the vandals have had their way, removing the handrails (which now float in the canal) and now damaging the decking planks.  It has resulted in a structure less safe than the original bridge.  I've previously made the council aware of the damage being caused, but nothing seems to have been done.  I's expect that if anyone now fell off the bridge and into the canal, the council would be deemed negligent in not maintaining the structure to provide a safe crossing?

As I have said previously, I never saw the point of it in the first place.  The original construction was about 2 metres wide, allowing safe passage across, whereas the towpath that runs for half a mile in both directions to reach the bridge, is narrower, overgrown with bushes and trees in part and could be considered a much more likely location for someone to trip and fall in.  I consider myself something of an expert in this area, just check the evidence!

Anyway, as I see it the council can either come and repair the construction, replacing the hand rails to give local vandals a new target for their attention, or just maybe they might think again and remove the over structure completely and return the bridge to its original state.

Day Miles: 1.6 miles       Total Miles: 315.3 miles

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