Forum Topic

Chiswick Park Footbridge

By the time it was (finally) completed, the footbridge from the Retail Park to Chiswick Park Station is reported to have cost £7m:https://expedition.uk.com/projects/chiswick-park-footbridge/By contrast, this newly completed bridge in Portugal, the world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge, cost £2m:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-qi9xhTDJQ(See also https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/29/worlds-longest-pedestrian-suspension-bridge-opens-in-portugal )Does anyone know of a good reason why the Chiswick bridge cost 3 1/2 x times the Portugese one?Having to build over a busy train line? Restricted construction hours? Built of pure platunum?

Richard Cathcart ● 2005d18 Comments

Sorry, said "Retail Park" instead of "Business Park".

Richard Cathcart ● 2005d

The profit motive plays a part.

Elizabeth Ross ● 2005d

Having just read the Guardian article, there is no comparison between the two bridges. One is a tourist attraction spanning a gorge. It is a flimsy-looking structure with a very narrow walkway made from a open mesh and is designed to provide a thrilling experience for anyone intrepid enough to use it. The other is a solid structure, serving a purpose and is a very good example of modern design.

Bernard Gutzewski ● 2005d

Thank you for your reply.However, I didn't question the appropriateness (or otherwise) of the respective designs.Rather I wondered why the Portugese bridge cost less than a third of the Chiswick bridge, despite being on so much greater a scale and having to be built in such an inaccessible location.

Richard Cathcart ● 2004d

I would imagine many things in Portugal are cheaper than here, labour for one.It does seem like a huge discrepancy though.

Keith Iddon ● 2004d

As impressive as it appears, the Portuguese bridge looks quite utilitarian - almost something like the army would put up (not sure I'd be confident using it tho - wobbly bridges aren't my thing). The Chiswick Park bridge came in at little more than the cost of a couple of Bedford Park houses, a fact that makes it sound less sensational.

Gordon McDonald ● 2004d

GMcD: "The Chiswick Park bridge came in at little more than the cost of a couple of Bedford Park houses, a fact that makes it sound less sensational."Does that mean that if it had been built eg in Wigan, the same bridge would only have cost, say, £300k?(You may need to re-visit your workings.)

Richard Cathcart ● 2004d

At least for £7m we now have a bridge. The unbuilt Garden Bridge cost more than £50m.

Tom Pike ● 2004d

Leaving the cost aside, does anyone know if it has succeeded in its aim, which was to persuade more users of the business park to use Chiswick Park station and thereby relieve the pressure on Gunnersbury station?

David Halliday ● 2004d

From what I was told the process became very drawn out because of the unwillingness of TfL, Network Rail and Hounslow Council to agree on costs. This will probably have inflated the final bill.Also I think I am right in saying that some of the cost was met by the transport fund which was set up when the business park was originally built and residents had been told would be for a new Piccadilly Line station. This had been sitting around unused for a decade so perhaps it was seen as an advantage that the bridge was expensive.I don't know whether data was collected before lockdown about it impact on station usage but Gunnersbury will soon face the new challenge of having to deal with the extra demand from the stadium enabling development and it would be not unreasonable to assume that this increase would be greater than any reduction due to the bridge.

Paul Corcoran ● 2003d

Absolutely. And on match days likely to be a real nightmare.What is needed is another entrance to the station from the Wellesley Road bridge.This would also funnel all the pedestrian traffic to and from from the stadium and the development around it through Wellesley Road, which would be a more direct route.

David Halliday ● 2002d

"funnel all the pedestrian traffic to and from from the stadium and the development around it through Wellesley Road"Drunk revellers will pretty much destroy the new quiteway. Oh well. That's what happens when you build an enormous stadium and forget about accessing it. Small price to pay. Hope all those who supported these measures enjoy people pissing in their front gardens. Job well done.

David Lesniak ● 2002d

DL: "Drunk revellers will pretty much destroy the new quiteway. Oh well. That's what happens when you build an enormous stadium and forget about accessing it. Small price to pay. Hope all those who supported these measures enjoy people pissing in their front gardens. Job well done."Oh dear, where to start? Who are these "drunk revellers"? (And what is a "quiteway"?)  Having attended Griffin Park for many years myself, I don't recall such people causing problems there, at least not this century. On the contrary, with a pub on each corner, both home and away fans would mingle happily, including spilling out onto the pavement, Devonshire Road-style, when the weather was good.And with Lionel Road having much better facilities, I've no doubt that many more will now enjoy a drink within the stadium, where stewards and staff can keep an eye on them.And with 17.5k capacity, LR is just 5k bigger than GP, so hardly "enormous".As for access, most fans agree the local authorities should do more to improve that, but it is misinformed to say they've "forgotten" about it entirely. For example, they're re-opening an old, disused tunnel from Kew Bridge Station to where the stadium is, whilst also securing extra car parking spaces nearby on matchdays etc.As for "pissing in gardens", I suggest you ask the residents around GP whether they were experiencing such problems before the ground closed - I know myself what the answer will be, while LR will have much better toilet provision, to go with all the extra bars etc.Moreover, if Gunnersbury Station has access problems, which it does, these long predate the stadium, so I don't think Brentford FC can be blamed for that. If anything, the new stadium might just cause the relevant authorities to do something about it (though with match day kick-offs not actually clashing with the usual rush hour problems at Gunnersbury, I doubt it).Finally, I expect that local small businesses arounbd the new stadium will welcome the extra trade which football and rugby fans will bring to the area, which I thought you of all people might appreciate, no?

Richard Cathcart ● 2002d

"From what I was told the process became very drawn out because of the unwillingness of TfL, Network Rail and Hounslow Council to agree on costs."The bridge was built as part of the original S106 agreement attached to the planning consent. LBH was slow to pursue the owners who took on this liability from the developer. The bridge should have been built before or at the same time as the final phase of the Business Park.The dispute with LBH (as I understand it) was over who would be responsible for the ongoing bridge maintenance. Something you would think should have been sorted out when the s106 agreement was put in place.

Cllr Sam Hearn ● 2001d

Does David have a "No Football Fans" sign outside his establishment ?

Richard Greenhough ● 2001d

Oh I dunno, Richard, unless they aren't selling beer at the new stadium raking in all that revenue (because of course they will be) for all those fans of whatever event, I think it fair to say people will be walking along Wellesley Road a few sheets to the wind. Hell, we get them on any given weekend when the pubs are open. And you expect anyone to believe that won't happen after a rugby match?Your so called stewards and staff will not be escorting fans out of the stadium, down Wellesley Road and to Gunnersbury Station now will they? Nah. They did forget about accessing the stadium. The "policy" was to cross fingers and hope for the best parking would be available at local schools and at Chiswick Park. That all came after planning permission. It was not a deliberate step, but a reactionary one.As for garden pissing, we've had that happen in broad daylight on a Tuesday afternoon with the guy aiming his junk at the intersection of CHR and Chiswick Lane. Of course then there's the vomit...

David Lesniak ● 2001d

DL: "As for garden pissing, we've had that happen in broad daylight on a Tuesday afternoon with the guy aiming his junk at the intersection of CHR and Chiswick Lane."Brentford fan?Or London Irish?Anyhow, I started this thread to find out about the Chiswick Park Foot Bridge, before I allowed myself to be sidetracked.You know, to discussing a small, 130 y.o.local enterprise in one part of Brentford, whose business has now expanded to medium size, meaning that they needed to move to new premises in another part of Brentford.Which with all the associated benefits that brings for employment, trade and the local economy generally, I had hoped might be seen as a local success story.All of which is before we even get to the outstanding work the club's award-winning Community Sports Trust is doing for youth and elderly people, the disabled, minorities and disadvantaged people generally:https://www.brentfordfccst.com/Anyhow, about this bridge...

Richard Cathcart ● 2001d

I have to say I'm amazed we ever got that footbridge. It was delayed time after time with all kinds of reasons/excuses being given, but it's finally there in all its glory!

Peter Evans ● 2001d