Makeover for Garstang 'honk and drive' bridge

Moss Lane bridge, Garstang, is one of the town’s “honk and drive slowly” bridges where many local drivers press their car horns and take an ultra-cautious approach when driving over the blind summit apex.

Calls for safety features at the bridge, where there is no pavement for pedestrians, have been made many times.

A suggestion that a pedestrian footbridge be created alongside the bridge (similar to the pedestrian bridge immediately next to the nearby Kepple Lane road crossing) has been rejected on price grounds as it would cost £300,000-plus.

Following safety concerns expressed by Garstang Town Council, highway chiefs have recently placed safety signs on both sides of the bridge, which links the two sections of Moss Lane divided by the Lancaster Canal.

Some drivers say they have not noticed the signs while others have commented that they are too far away from the inclines on both sides of the bridge for drivers to take note, prompting suggestions that the signs should be moved slightly.

But the next phase of safety improvements looks like being the most radical – possibly including a distinctly-coloured road surface over the bridge, which may also incorporate a deliberate narrowing at the apex of the bridge.

After a site visit with the county’s highways chief, Coun Keith Iddon, Garstang’s County Hall representative Coun Shaun Turner said he shared the concerns of motorists and pedestrians.

Coun Turner said: “I’ve asked whether some road markings, such as a person walking just before the top on each side or a coloured surface covering visibly narrowing the apex of the bridge could be additionally put in place in full eyeshot of car users as they approach the top.”

No date has yet been set for the proposed changes.