Welsh Bridge blog: part five

Now that the Welsh Bridge junction has reopened, local photo journalist, Richard Bishop, updates us on his thoughts about the improvements...

The new pedestrian and cyclist crossings are now up and running and traffic is flowing in all directions with all traffic lanes open around Bridge Street and Welsh Bridge. The signals are on fixed phase at the moment and the wireless detection function needs setting up. This will be done at night so as to cause minimal disruption. Apart from the application of a high friction surface which will be done when the temperature is higher this phase of the project is practically completed.

new-system-up-and-running new-crossing-lights

philip-pool I intercepted Philip Pool as he was navigating his bike from Welsh Bridge through Bridge Street into town. He said, "This is one of the scariest, if not dangerous, parts of town for a cyclist. So the improvements are a huge bonus for cyclists and pedestrians. It's much better than it used to be for cyclists and it is even better for pedestrians. By and large we used to cycle on the pavement along Smithfield Road but it will be good to have a dedicated cycle path. It's a bit early to tell how well the whole thing will work but so far, so good."

judith-glanville I spoke to a visitor to the town who lived here up until 20 years ago. Judith Glanville thought that the new Bridge Street system was a big improvement making it a lot safer for pedestrians and cyclists, but she was overwhelmed with the increase in traffic since she used to live here.

Another local resident said that she was really pleased to see the new system in place. She also reckoned that the way forward was a much bigger focus on sustainable transport in the town.

jennifer-andrews Cyclist, Jennifer Andrews uses the cycle routes around the town and she made the point that cyclists have to 'wiggle' across lane sometimes when negotiating road junctions. She also said that some pedestrians aren't aware that they are intended to share the tracks and vehicles sometimes park on them. Jennifer also said that one of her work colleagues had been brushed off his bike on Town Walls twice recently due to the combination of a narrow road and motorists trying to straddle the speed bumps. She also wondered if it would be a good idea for cyclists to go both ways on one-way streets which would save going all the way around. Editor's comment: Contraflows allowing cyclists to do just that are planned for some of the one-way streets in town. Watch out for more information later this year. Jennifer added that Connect2 was a good scheme and that Shrewsbury should be cycle-friendly. People don't need to use their cars for small journeys.