Leak forces delay to opening of £12m footbridge

Construction on the Market Gate Bridge began in July 2022

An electrical problem has delayed the opening of a new £12m footbridge in Barnsley.

The bridge, which will replace the temporary Jumble Lane crossing, had been due to open on Friday.

However, Barnsley Council said there had been an electrical issue thought to have been caused by a water leak.

A council spokesperson apologised, but said it would not have been safe to go ahead with the opening.

“We had been looking forward to beginning a phased opening of the new Market Gate Bridge," they said.

“Unfortunately, our contractors have let us know about an electrical problem which appears to be caused by water leaking into the bridge’s equipment room."

The spokesperson said the problem required "urgent investigation and repair and sadly it will not be safe to open the bridge" as planned, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"We apologise for this disappointing news and we’ll let everyone know when the rearranged opening is as soon as possible," they added.

“You can still enjoy the Christmas Market this weekend."

The pedestrian Market Gate Bridge is planned as a permanent replacement for the Jumble Lane level crossing

A temporary bridge would remain open in the meantime, the council spokesperson said.

"We’ve been in touch with Network Rail to let them know we’re postponing the removal of the temporary bridge, which had been planned for Saturday," they said.

“While this is disappointing, your safety is a priority. We’re working with our contractors to resolve this electrical issue and have the bridge open as soon as possible.”

Construction began on the new bridge in July 2022.

It will be a permanent replacement for the former Jumble Lane level crossing, which was closed in 2019 for safety reasons.

The footbridge will link the new town square with the transport interchange and Market Gate car park.

It will be fully accessible with lifts at both ends, and cyclists will be able to take their bikes into the lifts, or walk them up the steps using a dedicated "cyclist groove".