MIDDLEWICH residents have joined in the debate surrounding the Brooks Lane Bridge in Middlewich, after councillors called for traffic over it to be restricted or stopped completely. 


The three Middlewich ward members at Cheshire East Council, Cllr Bernice Walmsley, Cllr Simon McGrory and Cllr Mike Parsons, told the Guardian last week that the bridge is too dangerous to continue as it is.


The comments came following a lorry crashing into the bridge in December, meaning that the bridge had to be closed to traffic while repair work was carried out. 


The trio offered two main solutions, including stopping all traffic from going over the bridge, and constructing a pavement area for the sole use of pedestrians which would narrow the road to the point where only cars and vans could use the route.


Guardian readers responded to the story on Facebook with many offering their own solutions to make the bridge safer. 


Gemma Fahrenholz said: “Ban lorries going over it. They have a better access point to Pochins and other units along that road from the other end of it but most are either too lazy to go around or follow Sat Navs and go over it when they are too big/heavy to get over.”


Suzanne Southern Marshall said her commute to work has been increased by 30 minutes during the closure of the bridge and said the answer is the Middlewich Bypass. 


She said: “We need a bypass then by all means close it to vehicles. I have noticed a massive difference in the amount of traffic in a morning since the bridge has been closed. It is taking on average another 30 minutes to get to work with the bridge closure.”


Matthew Hoole said closing the bridge to traffic would cut off access to Rainbow Day Nursery in Brooks Lane. 


He said: “It's a vital access to the nursery! With it only open to walk across parents are forced to either park on a busy road and walk across (which at peak times is dangerous) or spend an hour driving through town and back! The solution is stopping vehicles that are too big using it and idiots going the wrong way!”