Network Rail To Replace Wandsworth Common Bridge


Cat's Back footbridge will close for five weeks in early 2017

Network Rail To Replace Wandsworth Common Bridge

Network Rail has announced it will need to close a well-used pedestrian bridge that allows people to cross over the railway tracks that cut through Wandsworth Common.

The ‘Cat’s Back’ footbridge in the middle of the common will be closed at the beginning of January for approximately five weeks.

The rail company needs to completely replace the ageing concrete structure and over the course of the project will be removing the old bridge and installing a new one.

According to Network Rail several repairs have been carried out in recent years to prolong the life of the bridge but engineering experts say it now needs a complete replacement made from steel.

Their plan is to manoeuvre a crane into place early in the New Year to lift out the old bridge and then lower in the new one. The council has requested that a larger crane be used for this task in order to protect trees on the common and prevent any being lost.

The operation will require a part of the common to be used temporarily as a works site and will also mean that the many people who use the bridge as a shortcut will need to find an alternative route. The nearest crossing over the railway tracks is in Bellevue Road.

Cyclists who use the designated cycle path that leads to the bridge will need to find alternative routes. None of the other paths on the common are designated as cycle routes.

The works are planned to start on January 3 and be finished by February 10.

November 17, 2016