Bridge - laugh or cry?!

[Patches]

Yes of course you can borrow the pictures. If I'd known you'd send them to the Highways Agency I'd have dressed smarter and sat better! LOL

If it helps, we're crossing the M6 just South of Junction 16 at Barthomely. The bridge in the pictures has less traffic flowing over it so is actually better for the horses to cross, even though it's narrower. The other one is on a bend, going downhill (as we always go the same way around the loop) and I find that sometimes this one does spook the horses as it's an A road in a National Speed Limit zone. With the noise of the traffic flowing under the bridge, the horses (and me for that matter) don't often hear traffic coming up behind them which can un-nerve them as it passes.

 

[Patches]

Just found this article Sooty. Well it's a transcript of an interview with Glenda Jackson. Covering the topic of missiles being thrown from a bridge.

She doesn't specifically answer the height of the parapet over motorways but clearly states it should be 1.2 m over other roads.

[ QUOTE ]

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what engineering measures he proposes to protect the travelling public from missiles being thrown from parapets of bridges over (a) motorways, (b) other roads and (c) railways. [70272]

Ms Glenda Jackson: The Departmental standard for the design of highway bridge parapets requires that they are 1.2 m high on road bridges over other roads and 1.5 m high on road bridges over railways. Parapets on bridges over railways are normally clad with a close mesh or steel panelling. Missiles thrown from bridges are usually isolated incidences that it is impossible to prevent completely.

Where there is a repeated problem at a particular location then local measures such as raising the parapet height and using a solid infill to the parapet may help. The provision of CCTV cameras and police patrols may also be used in addition to these engineering measures.

The Health and Safety Executive has published "Railway Safety Principles and Guidance" for the promoters of new railways of bridges which gives specific guidance on the height of bridge parapets. The guidance also states:




"Where vandalism may be a problem, Parapets at least 1.8 m high or a totally enclosed structure may be necessary".

With regard existing bridges, many may not meet these guidelines. In such cases, the Health and Safety Executive would expect railway infrastructure owners to assess each bridge on its own merits, and, where a problem with vandalism may exist, take reasonable practicable measures to help prevent such incidents from occurring.

Road bridges not on the trunk road system are the responsibility of the appropriate highway authority.



[/ QUOTE ]

 

[PeterNatt]

Sooty! The problem with meeting ministers is that the vast majority of them are barristers. Therefore in future always take a barrister with you as your advocate to a meeting with them as then the minister will not be able to fog you off.

Your next step is to decline the Higways Authority proposal and ask your member of parliment to ask the minister a question in parliment about this matter and why he did not instruct the highway Authority to erect barriers on each side of the bridge to the height recommended by the British Horse Society.

Within the contents of his question to parliment he should give some background and mention that the equine industry is now worth more than £4 billion a year to the UK economy, according to the latest research by The British Equestrian Trade Association.

The National Equestrian Survey revealed that the number of horses in Britain - including those kept by private owners and in professional establishments - has reached 1.35 million.

They are owned or cared for by 720,000 people or 1.2 per cent of the uk population.

Significantly the number of horses owned by private households has risen from 900,000 as reccorded by BETA'S previous NES in 1999 to an estimated 1.2 million now.

Around 2.1 million people at least once a month with a further 2.2 million having done so during the last year making a total of 4.3 million participants. (The previous estimate was that 2.4 million people had ridden during the last 12 months.

Mark Weston the head of Access, Road Safety and Welfare of the British Horse Society will be only to pleased to continue to assist you in any way he can. (He is a solicitor himself).

You need to remind them that Zara Phillips (one of our few Olympic Hopes) excercises her horses on the public highway to get her horses fit. The Highways Authority has a duty of care to pedestrians cyclists and horse riders and they should not forget this.

Please also note that we had a bridge built over the A1 with full height barriers to get us accross it and this was not because there was a bridleway there before - it was purely a road crossing. (From the end of Galley Lane Arkley Hertfordshire).

 

[Patches]

Very interesting and an informed reply.

I myself sent off a survey to the BHS about our bridge parapets. I've measured them this morning Sooty and they are actually 39 inches tall, just shy of 1m. The motorway was opened in 1967 so clearly the bridges are pre metric.

I've taken some pics, will post them later.

I do know several riders in our area who won't actually cross them. They're worried about their horses. However, they probably would get off and lead them across if there was a safe mounting point on both sides of the bridge.

Our bridges are not on bridleways also, but are on extremely quiet lanes and littered with livery yards and private owners who will obviously use that stretch of road when hacking their horse's out. Infact there is a racing yard not far from one of them. Their horses are regularly ridden out.

Personally, I have more issues with the National Speed Limit being applied to such narrow twisty roads when I'm out riding, than I do with the bridges. Possibly because I'm across the bridges in less than a minute, whereas I'm on such roads for the duration of my riding.

I'd like to see more signs warning motorists of riders in the area.

Good luck with your continued battle. I believe local residents would mount a campaign if there was a proposal to raise our parapets to 1.8m. Often see cars parked on the bridges gazing at the traffic below.

 

[spaniel]

Sooty I can cultivate a QC for you if you fancy some heavyweight back up.

Is there any benefit in us letter writing to back you up or could some famous faces get involved to try and push the point.

Sometimes it amazes me how bloody stupid the HA is. We had it on a small scale here at home.....they do seem obsessed with painting lines.

I join you in your headbanging and feel your frustration.

 

[Sooty]

Wow, thanks Patches! What is interesting about that is that they are talking about the parapets being 1.2 or 1.5 metres in height, ours are 1m yet we were told this is the policy standard that has been in place for 50 years. I shall c&p that into an email to my nemesis at the HA. I think they just make it up as they go along...

 

[Sooty]

I have replied to your pm, but the minister didn't fob me off - he said we have a case and that something should be done. The problem I am continuing to have is with the HA at local level.

 

[Sooty]

Thanks Spans, I might take you up on that! If this thing doesn't reach a satisfcatory conclusion then I shall have to go down the legal route, as we have been told we have a case and I am constantly being blocked. We knew it would be more of a problem to get the sides altered once the bypass was open, so while we were pushing the HA were dragging their heels.