Unsafe footbridge shut since 2023 to be destroyed

Work will begin to demolish and replace an unsafe bridge which has been closed for nearly two years, West Sussex County Council says.

Whites Footbridge was shut in August 2023, forcing pedestrians travelling between Steyning and Upper Beeding to walk alongside a busy road after the bridge was deemed "beyond economic repair".

The council now says work will begin on Monday, 14 July to destroy the bridge near King's Barn Lane, and replace it with a new structure to reopen the footpath.

Joy Dennis, cabinet member for highways and transport, said reinstating the route will make the route "easier and safer to use".

Originally installed in 1903, a structural report highlighted "severe corrosion" which compromised the bridge's structural integrity.

The 2023 report recommended stopping pedestrians using the bridge "for the foreseeable future" until a replacement structure could be installed.

The project, expected to last 12 weeks, will also include resurfacing works around the bridge on the east side of the River Adur.

The bridge will be funded by the county council's capital delivery budget, while the footpath improvements will be supported by local community groups.

Replacement work to the bridge following the demolition will begin after gas networks in the area have been diverted by Southern Gas Networks (SGN).

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