Crawley railway footbridge set to be removed for two years

The railway footbridge, connecting East Park and Station Way in Crawley, is set to be dismantled, repaired, and realigned as part of the wider Station Gateway scheme, which will see more than 300 flats built in the area.

Under the plans, which have been recommended for approval by Crawley Borough Council planning officers, the bridge would be removed to carry out off-site refurbishment before reinstating it in a slightly different position to support improved pedestrian links through the town centre.

While the physical removal and later reinstatement of the bridge are expected to take around two days each, the overall closure period could last much longer.

Repair and refurbishment of the structure off-site is anticipated to take around 20 weeks.

In addition, the bridge is not considered able to be reinstated until the wider development is complete, which is anticipated to take two years.

The bridge is currently in need of repair (Image: Grove Developments/Unum Partnership)

Planning officers said the lack of a pedestrian link over the railway during this time would be "clearly unfortunate", but that the bridge was deteriorating and the proposals were "acceptable" in light of the long-term benefits.

The bridge currently serves as a public right of way and a key pedestrian route into the town centre from areas south of the railway.

The only alternative crossing during the works will be a level crossing to the west.

Although the station has a new bridge with a lift, it is not freely accessible to the public and can only be accessed by train passengers.

Pedestrians could have to cross the tracks at this level crossing for up to two years (Image: Google)

The wider Station Gateway scheme will see more than 300 flats built in the area around Crawley Station, including 83 created by redeveloping the Overline House building on top of the station.

Once complete, the refurbished bridge will feature a revised landing connecting to new residential blocks.

The bridge will retain its historic cast iron lattice structure, with essential repairs and zinc coating to prevent further deterioration.

A suggestion of providing ramped access to the bridge to improve accessibility was considered unrealistic, as any ramp provision would have needed to be more than 50 metres long.

The plans for the footbridge were originally set to be approved subject to agreements in 2021, but the introduction of water neutrality requirements mean they have been on hold until now.

The council's planning committee will make a final decision on the plan, along with the wider Station Gateway proposals, on March 30.