Rail and Cambridgeshire County Council officers are finalising the necessary work to improve safety for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers at Norwood Road Bridge in March.

Due to the narrow nature of the bridge and the poor visibility it can be dangerous for all users. The pedestrian facilities on the bridge are not wide enough for mobility scooters to use and for some distance there is no path at all, forcing people into the road.

With funding already secured design work has now been completed and Cambridgeshire County Council is working with Network Rail, who own the bridge and land, to start the £250,000 scheme as soon as possible.

The scheme, now needs the final of approval from the wider rail industry, so works can be planned with them, without disrupting any activity in the marshalling yards, which are some of the largest in the UK.

The improvements include new dual use pedestrian and cycle facilities segregated from the road. The bridge will be traffic light controlled in order to widen the provision for pedestrians and cyclists as well as to also reduce the conflict that is caused currently when large vehicles meet each other on the narrow structure.

Cambridgeshire County Councillor Steve Count, council leader and local member for March North, said: “I have been campaigning for this much needed improvement for years, this dangerous and narrow stretch of road needs to be made safer to allow everyone to use this major link in the North of March. I am glad to see that with funding secured and designs completed, Network Rail is working closely with us to move this much needed scheme forward in early 2017.”

Richard Schofield, Network Rail’s route managing director for Anglia, said: “We understand the aspirations to make this bridge safer and we are working with the council and other partners to get approval for this scheme as soon as possible.”