A million-pound bridge that should have connected Exeter businesses while getting rid of a dangerous bottleneck has been shelved.
Work should have begun to replace Mallison Bridge on the Quayside after a planning application was filed in January, with £1.1million in government money being used to pay for it.
But now Devon County Council has announced that the work will be shelved because costs have escalated, and the money will be spent elsewhere. Exeter City Council had worked alongside the county authority to prepare the funding bid.
The news has sparked anger from businesses on the quayside, who say the bridge is a vital link for customers to get to and from the bustling shops and bars.
And Green councillors are demanding to know why more wasn’t done to save the project.
The bridge closed in 2018 amid ‘structural concerns’ before being removed altogether in 2020.
It was a key part of a popular cycle route, and since it closed cyclists and pedestrians have used an alternative route via a narrow path which connects the river to Commercial Road.
Cllr Diana Moore (Green, St Davids) said both the county council and the leadership of Exeter City Council had promised to replace the bridge.
“Many people will be deeply disappointed that the time and huge amounts of money spent with two planning applications and investigations over the past six years has come to nothing,” she said. “Exeter City Council is the landowner of this area so doing nothing is not an option.”
Cllr Andy Ketchin (Green, Newtown and St Leonards) said financial contributions made by developers building homes in the city should be used to complete the bridge project.
A Devon County Council spokesperson said the increase in costs had made the bridge project ‘unaffordable’.
“Engineering challenges, including a gas main diversion and high foundation costs, have all contributed to estimates increasing by £700,000 beyond the £1 million grant we received,” said a statement.
“Alternative designs were explored but none met affordability or acceptable active travel design standards, and because we may be at risk of losing the funding if the funding isn’t spent by March 2027 the grant will now be redirected to another active travel scheme.
“However, the cancellation of this scheme doesn’t prevent funding and other options for Mallison Bridge and other active travel improvements in the vicinity of the Quayside and Valley Park from being explored in the future.”
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