Highways Agency to install protective screens on Woodway Lane footbridge after objects thrown from bridge
From next Monday, the Highways Agency will begin work to install protective screens on the Woodway Lane footbridge which crosses the M6 between Junction 2 (Coventry) and Junction 3 (Bedworth). This follows repeated incidents of objects being thrown from the bridge, resulting in more than ten vehicles being struck.
A local partnership, including the Highways Agency, Coventry City Council, local Police and the Fire Service have worked together to address the issue of object throwing, and the footbridge was temporarily closed to protect the public from future incidents.
The Highways Agency will now install prefabricated steel mesh panels over the horizontal and vertical openings of the existing bridge parapet. CCTV cameras will also be installed, and activity on the bridge will be closely monitored by Coventry City Council with support from West Midlands Police.
In 2008, there were over 100 instances of items being thrown onto the motorway network in the West Midlands, more than a third occurring during school holidays.
Liz Davis, route performance manager for the Highways Agency said:
“Safety of road users is our top priority, so we have been working closely with our local partners to reduce the likelihood of objects being thrown from the bridge in the future.
“Our work on the bridge is just part of the solution. We will continue to assist the council in delivering vital safety messages to school children in the area.”
Work on the bridge improvements will take place overnight to reduce the impact on users of the M6 below. Lane closures will be required to facilitate the work overhead and a 50mph speed limit will be in place. Work is expected to take up to six weeks to complete.
The Highways Agency’s educational pack “Just a stones throw” was launched in 2005 and is an activity based module for children aged 10-11. The pack, which is available on the Agency’s website aims to raise awareness of the dangers and consequences of throwing/dropping objects from motorway overbridges.
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