What was gained by bridge?

The recent edition of the Peninsula News devoted the equivalent of one page to the issues surrounding the new bridge along the Woy Woy causeway.

This matter is now way out of hand!

When queried, the RTA Woy Woy office (last year prior to bridge construction) for their risk/benefit analysis regarding the need for the bridge at all, all they had was a blank look.

It was then suggested that eliminating the existing west side bridge sidewalk and using that for a slightly realigned vehicle traffic lanes would allow a safe combination cyclist/pedestrian lane to be developed on the east side of the road bridge behind a protective barrier.

No, the RTA said, the concept is to provide two cycleways one of each side to the roadway and a separate pedestrian bridge!

Now the powers are now calling the new $1 million suspension bridge a cyclist-pedestrian bridge.

The roadway is still marked with cycle ways and the few pedestrians who do walk the causeway are now sharing the bridge with cyclists who chose to ride on the bridge rather than the marked cycle lanes.

What was gained and how is this better?

As to naming the bridge after a former Victorian criminal: well, as a class they did do a lot for Australia but giving that sort of prominence to a bridge is far too far.

Although some locals have noted the bridge is rather ugly so maybe... justice?

Tim Bard Phegans Bay