Rotherhithe Bridge delayed

The timetable to deliver the Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf pedestrian and cycle bridge has been pushed back by Transport for London.

The second round of public consultations for the bridge were due to go out in April. However, following inquiries from Caroline Pidgeon, the Liberal Democrat member of the London Assembly, TfL have now said it will not go out before September at the earliest.

Southwark Liberal Democrats were the first to propose a cycle and pedestrian bridge from Rotherhithe and have been campaigning for it since the beginning of the millennium. This new delay by TfL will almost certainly lead to subsequent delays in delivering the much-needed bridge. It is meant to be a centre-piece of reforming transport and improving air-quality in Bermondsey, to be integrated with plans to finally extend the bike-hire scheme across the borough, which the Labour Mayor or Labour-run Southwark Council have persistently failed to deliver.

Cllr Damian O’Brien, Southwark Liberal Democrats Transport spokesperson said:

‘This further delay to getting the bridge built is very disappointing. It’s a vital piece of our green infrastructure that we’ve spent two decades campaigning for, and essential for wider plans to create a better-connected Bermondsey with air we can all safely breathe. The Labour Mayor pledged to deliver on our idea. We really hope this postponement isn’t a sign of things to come and that it doesn’t end up becoming Labour’s equivalent of the ‘Garden Bridge’ fiasco.’