THE opening of a new £16 million bridge over the River Severn has led to increased calls for a crossing over a ‘busy and dangerous’ road in Worcester.
Emily Colborne lives on Riverview Close and regularly finds herself attempting to cross Hallow Road with her young children but said she often feels unsafe.
She said: “We urgently need a pedestrian and cycle crossing over Hallow Road near the junction.
“It is a busy A-road all day long, and my young children and I routinely experience waits of up to five minutes trying to get safely across.
“There is a two mile stretch between the nearest crossings on Hallow Road, and residents, many of whom are elderly or have young children, have long had to put up with drivers speeding towards or out of the 60 miles per hour stretch in Hallow.”
Despite calls for a crossing for several years, recent infrastructure projects nearby has made the importance of a safe crossing more prominent.
Ms Colborne said: “The need for a crossing is even greater now that the wonderful Kepax Bridge has opened up access to this side of the river.
“Let’s prove Kepax is not ‘a bridge to nowhere’ by providing safe access for pedestrians and cyclists to all that St Johns has to offer.”
The Kepax Bridge links Gheluvelt on the east bank of the river with Hallow Road on the west, with a lack of any further pedestrian friendly infrastructure limiting the bridge’s usefulness.
Cllr Tor Pingree echoed Ms Colborne’s sentiments.
She said: “Now that we have the new bride, this area is increasingly popular with pedestrians and cyclists. For a long time we have need a crossing and now it is more pressing than ever.
“This crossing may help slow traffic on the Hallow Road, which is something many residents would agree is essential.
“The elderly and those with young children take a risk every time they try to get across this busy and dangerous road. But they should not have to take this risk. We need a crossing.”
A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council, said: “We have not received a request for a crossing at this location. Residents can request a crossing investigation by visiting our website and searching ‘request a crossing’.”