Cyclists, pedestrians and a runner gather at Rhubarb Bridge

@SustransPBoro and Peterborough Cycling Forum members gathered this week to protest against the proposal (announced in the council’s budget) to demolish Rhubarb Bridge. Follow Sustrans Peterborough on facebook. A member of the Werrington Running Club explained that the running club members use the bridge. While we were there the bridge was never empty: children were making their way to school: many pupils at Voyager school will get to school via this bridge and commuters were cycling and walking over it.

On top of the bridge, it ducks under the A47: the path descends a bit, making it an up and under bridge. It is an extraordinary design and in its day was very innovative. It is difficult to envisage a better design, given the continuous roar of traffic along the A47 crosses the Lincoln Road here: the main trunk route north out of Peterborough. Rhubarb Bridge (apparently so called because rhubarb kept coming up on its embankments when it was newly built) allows pedestrians and cyclists to cross two major roads on a set of off road, fully segregated paths, ramps and steps.  There is absolutely no conflict with road traffic, which as things are, only stops for more road traffic.

The only road user who is not catered for, is (possibly) someone using a wheelchair or mobility scooter. There are ramps and they are certainly no steeper than many hills, but on the morning of our photoshoot, I did not see anyone attempt them in a wheelchair or a mobility scooter (which are very popular in Peterborough).

Talking to pedestrians in the dip in the bridge: where the bridge goes down into a tunnel under the A47

Fluorescent (?) light cover in the ceiling of the tunnel

The tunnel was unlit at 8am. It is possible to see quite well inside it. But it is not the most beautiful of Peterborough’s underpasses

Spiral ramp onto Rhubarb Bridge