A temporary bridge has been built to link the Brayford Wharf East with the University of Lincoln campus.
The Brayford entrance to the campus has been closed since January as work continues on a new pedestrian bridge.
The opening date for the footbridge has been delayed until 15th May. The University of Lincoln asked Network Rail to provide the alternative solution for students and staff who have had to make major detours when walking to university.
The construction company building the new bridge is Morgan Sindall and their works manager John Mee said that the University of Lincoln met up with Network rail and decided on an alternative solution by setting up a pontoon to bring students and staff as fast as possible to lectures and work.
Both parties agreed that this is the best alternative measure until the footbridge will be finished.
When news about the new pontoon was released on 1st April, many people thought it was an April fools joke.
Students at the University of Lincoln have welcomed the alternative and are happy that the floating platform has been installed.
“It’s a good idea because we can get to the rail station quicker. Before we had to take the long way around town, but it is good that the pontoon is here. It is a good idea, I just wish we had it earlier” says Dominique, nursing student at the University of Lincoln.
“It is a shame that they didn’t have it when they started the project so we had to walk the long way around” says Claire, also a nursing student at the University of Lincoln.
“On my way to Uni I saw 10 to 11 construction workers working at the pontoon today. There was only 3 working on the footbridge” says Holly, a MA journalism student at the University of Lincoln.
“When I saw that they were doing a pontoon I assumed it wasn’t going to be safe. But the email that the university has sent out said that it was in compliance with the disability act. When I walked on it this morning it was solid and couldn’t feel any movement” Holly adds.
However, the late instalment of the pontoon rises scepticism about further delays for the footbridge opening.
