Foxton Swing Bridge

[Wanderer Vagabond]

I have been getting e-mail from CRT advising me that there is a mechanical problem with the Foxton Swing Bridge, I'm not currently in the area so I don't know what the problem is but I cannot understand the logic of what they are doing, can someone explain it for me. The contents of the e-mail state "....Due to a major mechanical fault, we have had to temporarily close Foxton Swing Bridge with immediate effect......", followed by "....From tomorrow we will be restricting boat traffic to set times in the day.  

Boats will be assisted through between:

9am and 10am

2pm and 3pm 

Boaters will not be able to operate the Bridge outside of these hours......".

 

To my way of thinking the logical approach would be to simply lock the bridge the open for boat traffic (and closed to pedestrians) until they fix it. Pedestrians, from what I can see on the Google image (and from what I remember) have an alternative route, so what is going on?

 

 

 

Edited April 9 by Wanderer Vagabond

[IanM]

Is that the one in question or the one in Foxton village itself?

 

Edited to add:

 

According to the stoppage notice it is bridge 4 so not the footbridge at the junction as per the OP, rather the larger vehicle bridge in the village.

Edited April 9 by IanM

[Mike Tee]

The map shows 'Foxton Swing Bridge' being the road bridge

[Hudds Lad]

They should sort out that Rainbow Bridge at Foxton whilst they're at it, bloody lethal in the wet.

Mother-in-law and a pair of walkers nearly broke their necks on it when we were there in March.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

22 hours ago, IanM said:

Is that the one in question or the one in Foxton village itself?

 

Edited to add:

 

According to the stoppage notice it is bridge 4 so not the footbridge at the junction as per the OP, rather the larger vehicle bridge in the village.

Yes, that makes sense, but since there is another bridge in Foxton that land based travellers could use, and if there is a mechanical problem with the bridge I would have thought closing it, with it safely on shore ready for repair would have been an option.

[ditchcrawler]

24 minutes ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

Yes, that makes sense, but since there is another bridge in Foxton that land based travellers could use, and if there is a mechanical problem with the bridge I would have thought closing it, with it safely on shore ready for repair would have been an option.

How easy is it to just close a highway if there is no danger in using that highway? you can close a canal on a whim with no comeback. The highway is a right of way, the canal isn't

[Wanderer Vagabond]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

How easy is it to just close a highway if there is no danger in using that highway? you can close a canal on a whim with no comeback. The highway is a right of way, the canal isn't

That possibly depends upon which canal. I seem to recall talking to locals at Barnby Dun on the Sheffield and South Yorkshire once who were 'reminiscing' of the time the lift bridge was shut due to vandalism. This was at the time that 'Exon Princess' was passing through on a regular basis so they locked the bridge in the  up position. If you look on the map the diversion to get around that particular obstruction is quite a long way (over 5 miles via Stainforth). To get around the Foxton bridge onto Main Street is about a Kilometre going North-East and about 400 metres going South-West.

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, Wanderer Vagabond said:

That possibly depends upon which canal. I seem to recall talking to locals at Barnby Dun on the Sheffield and South Yorkshire once who were 'reminiscing' of the time the lift bridge was shut due to vandalism. This was at the time that 'Exon Princess' was passing through on a regular basis so they locked the bridge in the  up position. If you look on the map the diversion to get around that particular obstruction is quite a long way (over 5 miles via Stainforth). To get around the Foxton bridge onto Main Street is about a Kilometre going North-East and about 400 metres going South-West.

You get similar on the rivers around where I live but in most cases the navigation authority and the local council have come to agreements on opening times. I think this is because it was a navigation first with the ancient rights of navigation.

Just to add.

In Lowestoft where they are building the third river crossing they had to apply for a closure of navigation for part of the works

Edited April 10 by ditchcrawler
I like adding bits

[David Mack]

Has anyone suggested that the prolonged failure to get Keadby sliding bridge sorted should mean that Network Rail is told to divert all the trains so the canal can be kept open for boats?

[Quattrodave]

54 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Has anyone suggested that the prolonged failure to get Keadby sliding bridge sorted should mean that Network Rail is told to divert all the trains so the canal can be kept open for boats?

 

With all the strikes and delays on the trains my bet is that no trains would actually need the sliding bridge...

[ditchcrawler]

54 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Has anyone suggested that the prolonged failure to get Keadby sliding bridge sorted should mean that Network Rail is told to divert all the trains so the canal can be kept open for boats?

We get the same on the Broads every summer when they can't swing due to the heat.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

4 hours ago, David Mack said:

Has anyone suggested that the prolonged failure to get Keadby sliding bridge sorted should mean that Network Rail is told to divert all the trains so the canal can be kept open for boats?

Dunno, is there another rail bridge 200 metres further along the canal?

[roland elsdon]

Put the key in the bridge at foxton last night. Came on green lights.

Had left boat behind so went no further but boats were turning right at bottom of locks today.

[Wanderer Vagabond]

18 minutes ago, roland elsdon said:

Put the key in the bridge at foxton last night. Came on green lights.

Had left boat behind so went no further but boats were turning right at bottom of locks today.

Yup, CRT sent out an E-mail yesterday saying it was fixed.