Bridge refurbishment a 'nightmare' for the elderly

Road closures caused by the refurbishment of a 19th Century bridge in Exeter have made navigating the area difficult for the elderly, according to one resident.

Devon County Council closed the road and footpath on the Grade II listed Iron Bridge in January until mid-June.

Resident Tina Conway-Jameson said the footpath and road closure had been "a nightmare" and resulted in elderly people "staying indoors" as the diversions "take too long".

Stuart Hughes, cabinet member for highways, said the work was essential to bring the 190-year-old bridge in to the 21st Century.

The refurbishment work on the bridge includes waterproofing, drainage improvements, resurfacing and changes to its layout.

Mrs Conway-Jameson said: "We've got problems now with elderly people such as myself and there's so many people over 80.

"If you haven't got a car and you're elderly, or can't walk very far, you've got to stay indoors and that's it. That's life."

"We can't possibly walk it at our ages and how we feel in ourselves."

Calvin Lacy, manager at the Exeter Community Centre, said people were frustrated by the footpath closure and the length of road diversions.

"The Iron Bridge is quite heavily used, particularly by pedestrians, because it's on the flat. With the loss of that, they have to now go under the bridge.

"For many people, it is virtually impossible to then go back up [the other side] again without being out of breath and having difficulty up steps.

"It's putting off people coming here and that means a loss of custom. We don't know at the moment how much.

"Of course, we are delighted it's being repaired, but, with just a few people working on it for five months, the impact is very significant."

Council cabinet member for highways management Stuart Hughes said the amount of the work needed on the bridge was "phenomenal".

He said: "When you've got works which are so complex, it takes a lot of work to carry out what is being done.

"Unfortunately, we are where we are, but the work had to be done otherwise perhaps the bridge would have failed."

He added: "I would say that there is no gain without a little bit of pain.

"I know that people have expressed some concerns. But, once the bridge has been brought back to its former glory, people will say: 'What was the fuss?'"

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