‘Danger bridge’ to be rebuilt higher

A danger footbridge where stones have been lobbed at cars driving along Oldham Way is to be rebuilt and covered — at a cost of almost £100,000.

The footbridge. which links Kirkbank Street and the Tesco store at the Westwood end of the bypass has been the site of several stonings by youths.

The high level pedestrian access has a 1.5 metre parapet — now council highway managers have approved plans to build a new one, this time 1.8 metres high and adding mesh infill panels to stop the attacks.

The work is the first call on the council’s bridges’ budget for this year.

In January, Shaw grandmother Kathryn Jackson’s car was stoned by three youths as she drove her car along the bypass. She welcomed the new bridge works and said: “This is a move in the right direction.

“Anything which improves future safety for motorists on Oldham Way has got to be welcome.”

Although Mrs Jackson, who had her two three-year-old grandsons in her car when it was hit, was attacked by youths standing on the grass verge and not on the bridge, she has been calling for better, overall safety.

She wrote to her local councillor and MP Phil Woolas, and has recently been contacted by the council.

She said: “He (an officer from the council) assured me that a team would go along Oldham Way removing the debris so there would not be any missiles to throw.

“I have not been down Oldham Way since, and I have not been to Oldham centre.

“When you have been attacked it is quite a frightening experience. That is why I keep responding to letters in the Chronicle — unless people are alerted to this problem no one knows what is happening and remain at risk.”