7 March 2008
We received a petition asking:
"We the undersigned petition the Prime to Support a third river crossing in Lowestoft."
Details of Petition:
"Lowestoft is the last major bottle neck on the A12. Although there are 2 bridges in the town, at present only one is a viable option for crossing Lowestoft and that is the Bascule Bridge. Lowestoft NEEDS a third river crossing, in the summer the town comes to a standstill whilst the bridge is opened for shipping. It can take upto 50 minutes to travel 1.5 miles. PLEASE help the residents of Lowestoft and build a third crossing NOW."
Read the Government’s response
The Bascule Bridge in Lowestoft was built in 1972 and much of the mechanical and electrical equipment in now old and obsolete. The bridge has become increasingly unreliable and breakdowns have led to emergency closures and disruption to traffic.
A major refurbishment programme is now underway, which when complete, will ensure that the bridge is operational for many years to come. To complete the refurbishment it has been necessary to close the bridge to public use a number of times in 2007 and further daytime closures are also planned for 2008. We are fully aware that these closures have been very inconvenient to the public and have resulted in serious traffic congestion and significant travel delays in Lowestoft. However by the summer of this year we fully expect the refurbishment to be complete.
A number of proposals have been made in the past for additional capacity across the River Waveney/Lake Lothing in the form of a third crossing. Such proposals are expensive and their value for money would have to be considered against other transport priorities in the East of England. There are no proposals at present under consideration and we are not aware that Suffolk County Council intends to submit a business case for a third crossing in the immediate future.