Town bridge barriers to protect pedestrians

PEDESTRIAN barriers are to be installed on the town centre bridge on Bath Road, to ‘prevent vehicles from being able to mount the footway.’

Wiltshire Council has offered clarification for the reason behind the works in response to questions from ‘baffled’ residents, unsure why the barriers are needed.

Local resident, Brian Inns said, “Unless the otherwise excellent Melksham News has been neglecting its duties and failing to tell us of the spate of pedestrians who have been throwing themselves under the wheels of traffic on the Bath Road bridge, I can see no reason why there is a need to erect barriers along the pavement.” 

A spokesperson for Wiltshire Council told Melksham News, “We are not aware of any heavy vehicles previously mounting the footway but that’s not to say some may in the future. The ornate stone parapets have in the past been damaged by cars mounting the footway, fortunately at low speed and the cars remained on the bridge.”

Access to the town centre via the bridge on Bath Road, will be closed to southbound traffic from next month for three months – works will take place from Monday 10th February until Tuesday 5th May.

The cost of the works  to install the pedestrian barriers and make improvements to pavement kerbing is expected to be £180,000, which Wiltshire Council say is being funded from the central government highway improvements budget.

Bath Road (A3102) will be closed southbound from its junction with New Broughton Road (A3102) for a distance of approximately 110 metres in a southerly direction. The closure and diversion route will be clearly indicated by traffic signs.