'No safe viable alternative' - Waterlink Way cycle route stays shut after bridge delays

Work on the new £650,000 Waterlink Way bridge in Catford will resume after months of delay, when mains water pipes were found in a different location from the plans.

Contractors F M Conway had started digging foundations for the new bridge, partly manufactured off-site, when the pipes were found near the west-side abutment excavations.

Lewisham council said that the plans they had been given from Thames Water were inaccurate.

Around half a mile of the Riverview Walk is now closed off between Bell Green, Sydenham and Catford, preventing the usual walk of around 3 miles/5km through the linear park .

Waterlink Way forms part of Transport for London's (TfL) C18 cycle way and is usually one of the most heavily used traffic-free corridors in south east London, with spikes during commuting hours and weekends.

It also forms part of national cycle network route 21, from Greenwich to Eastbourne.

A Lewisham council spokesperson said: “The presence of the Thames Water asset was known prior to works starting, but it’s exact location in relation to the abutment was inaccurate on plans given to us by Thames Water.”

The council’s designs of the bridge had to be amended, and then further ground investigations submitted for Thames Water approval before work could resume.

The spokesperson confirmed: “We’re pleased that approval has now been secured, meaning work can finally get underway again. We’re pushing to deliver the project as quickly as possible and expect it to be completed by the end of the summer."

The area around the bridge was closed on 11 February for the construction of the new bridge and was originally due to re-open by mid-April.

Lewisham Cyclists co-ordinator Alex Raha said: “Our frustration is that there’s no safe viable alternative for people to use.”

The diversion route runs from both Winsford and Rutland roads in lower Sydenham along Perry Hill through to Catford Hill - a notoriously dangerous stretch of road.

“It’s a site where cyclists have been serious injured with a fatality over the last ten years. We have had members report close misses with vehicles. We expect collisions at some point,” he added.

Lewisham Cyclists said the route doesn’t meet TfL's traffic management guidelines on safe diversion routes, and that the feedback that they gave the council on 17 March was not adopted.

They asked for cycle specific signage along the diversion, which is currently marked "footpath diversion".

They had originally suggested using Rutland Walk in lower Sydenham to minimise time spent on Perry Hill, with a modification made by the council of a dropped kerb and double-yellow lines.

Since the modification was not made, they then recommended that the council advise cyclists to use nearby Rutland Park to access Perry Hill.

At Catford Hill they asked for a temporary marked area to protect northbound cyclists making a right turn, before rejoining the route just south of Wickes and Halford retail park.

They also called for warning signs along Perry and Catford Hill to alert motorists about extra cyclists on the road and to advise them to allow 1.5m space when overtaking.

A council spokesperson said they would look at solutions to improve the diversion that can be implemented before the bridge reopens.

The council spokesperson said: “We know how frustrating these delays have been for residents and we share their concerns.

"The Waterlink Way is a crucial safe cycling route in Lewisham, and we want to see this bridge open and in use as soon as possible."

Thames Water declined to comment, citing "the number of other enquiries we are currently dealing with."

Lewisham Council gained funding for replacing the 20-year-old timber bridge with a safer, flatter one from developer contributions, known as section 106 funds, from Barratt Homes.

The developer built nearly 600 homes on Catford’s former greyhound stadium next to Ladywell Fields in the mid-2010s.

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