LONG-AWAITED NEW FOOTBRIDGE LINKS RESIDENTIAL STREETS WITH BEACHFRONT

                                                                         

In all its glory - the new footbridge opened today

A £3.6-million railway footbridge in Cleethorpes today opened, thereby reconnecting people in residential streets with the beachfront.

The new bridge includes ramps and stairs to provide a safe route over the railway from Suggitt’s Lane to the promenade.

The project was jointly funded with £2m from Network Rail and £1.6m from the Department of Transport and will now be owned and maintained by North East Lincolnshire Council. 

It was built to replace a level crossing which was closed for safety reasons in April 2019.

Because of his interest in the project, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, had been keen to cut the ribbon.

With other matters on his plate, he was unable to come up from London, so the mayor of North East Lincolnshire, Cllr David Hasthorpe, did the honours opened the bridge at a ribbon-cutting ceremony today. (Friday, 18 March).

He was joined by Martin Vickers, MP for Cleethorpes, and Lynn Sayles from the Suggitt’s Lane Campaign Group. 

Representatives from Network Rail and NELC, who have worked in partnership to deliver the project, were also in attendance.

Mr Vickers said: "The decision to close Suggitt’s Lane Level Crossing was highly controversial and has caused a lot of inconvenience for the local community. But we’re now able to move on. 

"Thanks to the high-profile local campaign and the intervention of stakeholders including the Prime Minister, we now have this fantastic new facility that will provide all members of the local community safe access to the beach, the North Promenade and beyond."

Work began in June 2021, with much of the structure being built off-site to minimise the impact on people living nearby.

Engineers have installed an 11-metre-long main bridge deck weighing around 10 tonnes. The bridge has lighting, 300 metres of accessible ramps, and four CCTV cameras to improve safety in the area.

Lynn Sayles, leading member of the Suggitt’s Lane Campaign Group commented: "This is the end of a long journey and for many local people a journey that has been so very worthwhile. 

"The lack of a safe crossing for this community over to the seafront has restricted the freedom of people who simply cannot walk the longer way around. 

"Parents and carers with young children and those with mobility problems have been badly impacted, and we are so pleased today to be able to see they now have their freedom back - freedom to walk across this bridge and enjoy the real benefits of living by the water."