The Isle of Wight Council will press ahead with the idea of a Medina Bridge, despite potentially prohibitive costs.
A feasibility study to understand the potential cost benefit analysis for a crossing over the River Medina was undertaken recently by Hampshire County Council.
Isle of Wight Council documents say the findings from the study has indicated while it would be possible to build a bridge, the cost and environmental impact of it would make funding such a scheme ‘prohibitive’ .
Cllr Dave Stewart, leader of the council, said he was totally in favour of a bridge as it would be a positive infrastructure development, giving people better and quicker access across the Island, alleviating some of the pressures in Newport.
He said:
“I will be advocating this in the coming months as I think that is the right thing to do.
“A number of options have been suggested, it is all about cost and analysis but I don’t just consider the costs and I think we need to look at the social and environmental value of these things.
“We are not saying it would be an alternative to the floating bridge but if we were to have a bridge there now, certainly some of the traffic issues into Newport, the East and West Wight would be alleviated.”
The report also recommended a wider study of traffic flows and transport provision would be required to determine whether a crossing would be the best option.
Cllr Julie Jones-Evans, ward representative for Newport Central, argued whether the bridge was needed because as a council and a community, the plan was to have fewer vehicles on the roads.
She said:
“I am very much looking forward to the outcome of the feasibility study to having rail links between Newport and Ryde or some sort of other public transport link — I think that is where we need to be going.”
Responding to her comments, Cllr Stewart said the government’s transport secretary, Grant Schapps did not see cycling as an alternative to cars and Queen Victoria did not see the floating bridge as an alternative to a proper crossing.
Cllr Debbie Andre, leader of the Island Independent Group, agreed with Cllr Stewart, saying she would be very supportive of a bridge as it would make a significant difference in the traffic flow around the Island.
She said:
“I think it was a shame the £9 million from the government was not put into this instead of the St Mary’s scheme.”
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