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Tuesday 16 Nov 2004

CENTURY-OLD FOOTBRIDGE RESTORED TO FORMER GLORY

Region & Route:

| Southern

A £100,000 refurbishment of Bersted footbridge, near Bognor Regis, has been completed by Network Rail. Alastair Macfarlane, Network Rail Structures Engineer, said: “Although the bridge was structurally sound, it is 114 years old and had seen better days.  We are delighted to have restored it to its former glory, making it a pleasant crossing for the many local people who use it every day.” The bridge was refurbished over eight weeks, with no disruption to train services. A temporary footbridge was also installed so public access could be maintained. The bridge was stripped down to bare metal and repainted.  Minor repairs to the steel work were also carried out and an anti-slip coating was applied to the stairs. The wrought iron, lattice girder bridge spans two tracks of the Barnham junction line, which takes the railway down to Bognor Regis. The bridge was painted in Southern (railways) colours to match nearby Bognor Regis station.