A study to look at delivering a bridge over the River Medina within the next decade looks set to be commissioned by the Isle of Wight Council.
The major infrastructure project will effectively act as a Newport bypass for traffic heading between Ryde and the West Wight and cut congestion and pollution in the town.
The year-long study is due to start this summer and the council is working with Hampshire County Council transport experts on it.
Leader of the Isle of Wight Council, Dave Stewart, has said:
“Spending money on this study is showing this council is ready and able to tackle major infrastructure issues on the Island surrounding traffic congestion, quality of life and pollution.
“There is much work to do to work up any plans, and we will need to secure funding and possibly land purchases, but this study is the start of what could be an ambitious and exciting project for the Island into the next decade.
“Everyone is fully aware Newport is plagued by congestion and this is potentially an excellent solution to ease traffic going through the town but also encourage sustainable transport.
“We want to build this bridge as soon as possible.”
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The Medina is on average 150 yards wide but it is likely that wherever the bridge is placed the structure would need to be much longer.
The study will look in detail at the exact location of any bridge, how it can be paid for through a toll or other means, the timings of the project, the potential environmental impact and funding issues.
The council said it would need to secure funding from central government and from Solent Local Enterprise Partnership LEP as the bridge would be part of the South East’s strategic road network.
Cllr Stewart added:
“We will consider the potential for the bridge to also have a cycle and walking path in addition to taking vehicles.
“Many Islanders recognise the need for us to address the impact of traffic congestion in Newport as well as improve our transport infrastructure generally on the Island and this is just what we intend to do.”
If the outcomes of the study prove the bridge is workable then the council is looking to secure funding and designs as soon as possible.
The council said the bridge was not intended to replace the Cowes Floating Bridge, the latest version of which has so far has cost over £5million.
About bloody time .meanwhile remove all the traffic lights on coppins bridge .never understood why there are lights on a roundabout .
May I suggest the bridge is placed between Stagg Lane and Mill Lane thus linking up with East Cowes and Red Funnel traffic, also open up the old East Cowes road at Binfield Courner
If its anything like ” Floaty” its going to be a financial disaster
…..and mechanical disaster.
One down… two to go.
The Medina Crossing was within the 2016 submission to the IOW Transport Infrastructure Taskforce by PRO-LINK on page 6: http://solentfreedomtunnel.co.uk/pro-link-statement-to-iow-transport-infrastructure-taskforce/
We on this group discussed it further early 2018 to great affect, which was taken on board by the regeneration team at the council: https://www.facebook.com/groups/iowfixedlink/permalink/1467625213348334?sfns=mo
https://www.islandecho.co.uk/council-confirm-desire-to-build-medina-bridge-within-10-years/
I’m surprised the MP hasn’t claimed this as his idea…. though I do know that Council leader – Dave Stewart has been discussing it for quite a while now.
It’s such a shame that the MP is so connected to Red Funnel and Wightlink…. or I’m sure we’d have the council behaving even more responsibly… by funding a true cross Solent Fixed Link Study.
Get rid of that conflict of interest… and I think it will happen.
We don’t want a cross Solent fixed link. We like our Island as an island thank you.
1) You don’t speak for everyone.
2) Carl was not saying there should be one, he was asking for a study.
3) A study will get the real information that is needed for an INFORMED decision.
Speak for yourself. I have cut right down on mainland trips because I cannot afford the high ferry fares. Either sort out reasonable ferry fares or build a bridge.
By your above comments duly noted … as you probably have a vague idea of what true Islanders want … I think it will happen is as far away from true reality as lets spend another five million on another survey (previously done) at out expense to come to the conclusion that 1 we cannot possibly afford it – 2 if we go ahead with it that will mean borrowing millions to pay for it at an astronomical payback percentage – and everyone concerned congratulating themselves on what a great idea that was for this current survey – only to find that 3 its not economically viable as the council now does not have sufficient funding to pay for the bridge – let alone pay for the survey to commission it. – oh lets buy another chain ferry then – to replace the one that does not work? Lets fund a cross solent fixed link study too – Are we going to vote for you next year. I think we should get rid of the unqualified advisors who are paid too much for the work that they were asked to do by the people who are supposed to look after the islanders living here at this present time. Failure in this option has already happened. In this world in that I mean real life, the conflict of interest lies in paying the council aristrocacy far too much for making seriously bad decisions on in their belief its for fhe betterment of the population living here on the Isle of Wight. They are going to do this survey and its going to cost us islanders a fortune – I think its time for the council to grow up a little and do something meaningful with our money – build another prison perhaps? Send all the convicts to austraulia even – like the good old days! but lo and behold we cannot afford to even keep our hospital in good order No CCTV, speed cameras – our rail system uses pre-war carriages – and holidaymakers who need a taxi
as the rate have just gone up would be better off staying on the mainland – Ferry fares are not much better either. and housing they have given permission to build that no Islander can afford – and the second homes over here that are unused for perhaps two to three weeks a year owned by mainlanders used at powrboat weekend or cowes week – should pay the same rate as us!
Only islanders should live in homes here – but we cannot afford to even get on the bottom rung of buying a house here or even renting as that is extremely expensive – but its okay the council has given permission for lots more houses to be built – and none of us can possibly afford to live in them. Council gives then more permission to build lots more.
Apologies its almost become a lecture on the good times that are happening now. Ho Ho.
Very nice but please can we have this work commissioned by people who know what they’re doing and not the same incompetents that had anything whatsoever to do with the floating bridge. Maybe Hampshire Council or people that do projects for a career, not an income. Anyone but the Island Council.
And certainly not Jasmine Consulting please.
It was outside designed and constructed not the council
More roads = more cars filling them, that has been proven all around the world. I live in Newport, it is the worst town to be in as a pedestrian (even car drivers become them at some point) narrow pavement taken up by car furniture ie. parking machines etc. big electric mobility machines and everyone competing for for the little space left.
Most towns in the un- United Kingdom have pedestrianised streets!
We on the island pretend to be “green” but the car is god. Building a bridge over the medina will not help but will stop water traffic. Perhaps the best way forward is concrete everything over and put a white line down the middle of the island , but please Don’t lower fares on buses and possibly entice folk out of their cars!
Why yet another ‘study’ ? Surely that was done when the bridge was to go from Somerton to Kingston !! (Although what stopped it then will most likely stop it again). There is certainly no point in spending money on yet another study unless there is a REAL prospect of a bridge being built
a study was commissioned in 1989 with a road show of the design of bridges and locations for the crossings.
the council should go to the filing cabinet and retrieve the details and save a lot of time and
tax payers money. I still have the original leaflet given out and the bridge should have been built then.
It should have happened years ago.
This should have been done years ago and I believe that there was millions spent on a study to link up Saunders Way in East Cowes over the river. Saunders way road was built as a bridge approach originally.
I really do hope that this time something does come of it wherever they might put it, so that it takes the pressure off of the dual carriageway and newport.
They should scrap the insane (waste of money) plans to change the layout involving Forest Road, Hunny Hill and the traffic lights outside of the hospital and use the £9m newport traffic easing grant for a bridge wich actually will make things better there and not worse.
Perhaps they should move the complete council and all its workers to one of the now vacant and redundant prison premises and then see if any of the workers there can get to work on time? Perhaps they will be given parking permits and all park in the hospital car park – that would be voted in I am quite sure (what a brilliant idea). Ho ho.
Then sell off the council premises to a property developer for flats or simlar – which would be a bonus for all our estate agents who could then say the premises have excellent views of nothing in particular – what a bonus for the capital town of the isle of wight!!
Perhaps they could use the money to sponsor Cowes Week this year or better still spend the money to fix the chain ferry?
Oops perhaps I should not have mentioned that!!! What fun.
Based upon past performance this lot will employ a sixth form technical drawing A level student to plan it, then get ‘old jack’ from down the road to dig the foundations (“14 inches is deep enough guvnor”) Get the steel work from Pompey Scrap inc. and then of course the Carpentry students from the college to build it!! Of course a press officer, H&S inspector and professional ‘back coverer’ will be paid huge sums to visit the site and issue press releases just before it starts, and then when it all collapses! Same old Same old!
It has to coupe with HGV traffic and not add to the congestion past the hospital. (or just move it up the road)
Definitely this bridge is long overdue but needs to be in the right place accessed from the roundabout on the Newport to Ryde road at the Ryde end of the racecourse. Cross the river to join the Newport to Cowes Road at some point south of Stag Lane.
When I said ‘build the bridge’ I meant to the mainland.. you can see the project over run, over budget.. anything the Isle of Wight County council does will be a disaster !!
It would be helpful if it was made clear if the ten years is the proposed start date or the completion date of this bridge.
Did they not do a survey for this many years ago that cost the council and us a fortune – they paid lots of people, surveyors commitees and other suchlike people associated with this kind of adventure and after paying them at that time a considerable amount of money – they said it was not viable due to the current econonic climate at that time – which meant it would cost too much to build – and the millions they spent on the survey could have been put to better use improving the road situation we have here at this present time? everyone who disagrees was probably paid by the council to do this survey!!!! names withheld due to legal representations by the council at that time.
Classified huh? perhaps they were the same people who were on the lets sell the railway tracks off to the general public instead of buying it completely to keep it running in this era – when they would have made the island probably the most favourable place to come and get round
by rail – and we would have had a better transportation system already in place – it would have been quite inspirational – and what have we got now – advisors who build roundabouts for us islander and they dont even drive themselves. CCTV and speed cameras they cannot afford to operate, and parking meters in high streets that are not helping the local shops – in america in the shopping malls there parking if you can park is free. – but thats okay if the local shops fail – the council will then give permission for them to be turned into accommodation that no Islander can afford.
lets see what they do this year!!
And congestion is going to be made worse by the council’s ridiculous scheme to replace the roundabout at St Marys with traffic lights rather than redesigning the roundabout.
Ha! Funny to see somebody saying they are surprised that the councillor hasn’t claimed it as his idea after claiming that the revamping of a decades old plan is their plan. lol There was a study for this done back in the ’90s , I believe, and it is mentioned at every opportunity by anyone that has taken an interest in a Medina crossing.
A link to the 1992 (oh so similar) Medina Bridge plan. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2298415823712995&set=pcb.1920583068002755&type=3&theater