Cabinet agrees to replace Broadmead Road Bridge and fight for funding

Redbridge Council is moving forward with plans to replace Broadmead Road Bridge, a key piece of infrastructure in the borough that connects Woodford with the rest of the Borough and beyond.

The decision follows a detailed options appraisal presented to Cabinet, which identified full replacement as the most effective long-term solution. Councillors also agreed to work with Transport for London and Central Government to seek the use of the £1 billion infrastructure fund or to continue to meet to ensure alternative funding can be provided to get the bridge rebuilt.
The existing bridge, which has reached the end of its design life, has been subject to ongoing monitoring and maintenance but now need replacing. This will also improve access for pedestrians and cyclists.

Councillor Kam Rai, Leader of Redbridge Council, said: “This decision made by the cabinet – to demolish the existing bridge and build a new one that would support cars, buses and heavy vehicles - is an enormous milestone for the council. We now have an “oven-ready” plan and business case, in the form of the options report presented to us by our specialist contractors. We will now present this to government and our partners to garner their support. We have impressed, and will continue to impress, both the strategic and local importance of this bridge to government for their support in re-opening the road.

“I really understand the frustration and the pain caused by the closure of the bridge to-date, and I feel it important to re-iterate that. Your ward councillors and I were also regular users of the bridge and understand the disruption it causes locally. We, as much as anyone else, want to see a long-term solution delivered quickly and we are committed to doing just that.”

The report can be viewed on our democracy website (agenda item 7)