A BUSY Salisbury footbridge – which was set to be removed as part of a £23 million package of roadworks – will now be replaced.
Previously, National Highways said the Wyndham Road footbridge over the A36 in the city centre was to be removed as part of an improvement package for the route.
However, now the company, which is responsible for motorways and major A roads across the country, has announced the bridge will be replaced.
The decision came after National Highways monitored usage of the bridge and liaised with city councillors and community groups.
It will now be replaced, along with the Victoria Road footbridge, as part of the project.
Chris Hilldrup, National Highways route manager, said: “We do understand the importance of the footbridge as an A36 crossing point, and after listening to the community’s feedback, we’ve looked again at all options and will now be upgrading both structures.
“Installing more modern bridges will improve accessibility in those locations, and our next step is to go into detailed design to provide the best solutions to achieve that.”
Work is set to be carried out in 2028 and 2029 with the A36 Corridor work aimed at easing traffic and improving safety.
As well as the bridges being replaced, the scheme will see new, adaptive traffic signals installed at the Castle, St Mark’s and St Paul’s roundabouts, the road resurfaced and the pedestrian crossing at Southampton Road upgraded.
Work to replace 32-year-old roundabout signals is set to be finished in the next few weeks, being switched on this Wednesday (October 22), before new ‘adaptive’ signals will come into use following the installation of traffic detectors next month, the roads management firm said.
Elsewhere, National Highways will also hold two public information events in November to announce proposals for £25m of improvements to the A36 Southampton Road – bringing the total road investment in Salisbury to around £50m over the next four years.
Extra lanes will be installed to improve traffic flows at the College and Bourne Way roundabouts, along with underpass and pathway enhancements and more facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.
Residents are being urged to attend the events to give feedback on the proposals.
The events will be held in Salisbury’s Market Square between 10am and 3pm on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 17 and 18, with information and an online questionnaire set to be available online.
For more on the A36 corridor works in Salisbury, visit the dedicated National Highways information page.
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