Opening Gainsborough Bridge – have your say
A Hackney Wick bridge will be opened to the public for the first time under the latest Hackney Council proposals to provide safer and greener routes for pedestrians and cyclists in the area.
Gainsborough Bridge, which links Gainsborough School with Here East over the River Lee Navigation, will also provide easier access for parents and students in response to concerns about safety due to construction in Hackney Wick.
The bridge was rebuilt as part of investment before the London 2012 Olympic Games, but was not opened to the public at the time due to concerns about construction in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Subject to a consultation launched this morning, the Council will apply to the London Legacy Development Corporation to approve public access to the bridge.
We’re determined to open up new routes for walking and cycling that are safer for our residents and away from London’s toxic air.
Allowing everyone to use Gainsborough Bridge will do just that – and respond directly to the understandable concerns parents have raised about taking children to school in an area undergoing significant construction work.
Before we apply for permission to do this, we want to know what local people think about this proposal, so I’d urge everyone to have their say.
Last year, the Council transformed Wick Road to improve road safety and make it better for walking and cycling. The changes saw protected cycle lanes introduced alongside better pavements and over 40 new trees.
New traffic calming measures, dropped kerbs and increased enforcement were also introduced around Hackney Wick Station to improve pedestrian safety while significant development takes place nearby.
To respond to the consultation on opening Gainsborough Bridge, visit the Council’s website or leave comments in the postbox at the Trowbridge Centre, 1 Trowbridge Road.