Council's audacious plans for park access bridge

Came across this article from 18 September 2008 in roadtransport.com
with rather different figures from the ones given at the planning meeting!

Cardiff Council has announced ambitious plans to build a dedicated lorry bridge that will allow hauliers unrestricted access into a park in the heart of the city centre. The local authority estimates that between 50 and 100 HGVs travel into the historic Bute Park every week in order to supply the Nursery, provide equipment for open-air events and maintain and manage water flow in the Dock Feeder.

Existing access involves a busy junction, and the council says it is potentially unsafe.

Concerns have also been mounting for some time that once vehicles enter the park, the close proximity of pedestrians could result in accidents. However, the council's proposals have not prevented campaigners from the Green Party objecting to the cutting down of 10 trees in order to provide space for the bridge.

A council spokesman says if it gets the go-ahead, the bridge will not be tolled and will not have weight restrictions other than "the standard ones applicable for public highways".

Simon Higgins, Road Haulage Association area manager, says: "It can only be a good thing for haulage. We would like to keep lorries away from people. What we don't want to do is pay for the privilege of crossing the bridge. The haulage industry is already hammered with taxes, but if it's free, we have absolutely no objections at all."

Chris Tindall Email at news@roadtransport.com