Start date for plans to replace the dilapidated footbridge at Havant Railway Station

Hampshire County Council is set to approve the project appraisal and enter into contractual agreements to replace the footbridge, with a cost of £500,000. Located between Elmleigh Road and North Street (Market Parade), Havant footbridge was built in 1947 and is owned and maintained by the county council – though it is reaching the “end of its structural life”, according to Havant Borough Council.

It added that Havant station is the fourth busiest station in Hampshire, serving more than 1.8m passengers a year. A pedestrian survey carried out by the county council in April 2024 recorded more than 1,650 people using the station daily.

The footbridge crosses the railway to the west of Havant station, providing a pedestrian route over the railway and connecting the Civic Centre Campus, Havant College, and nearby Leigh Park in the north to Havant town centre, bus station and Havant Park in the south.

The council said there is currently a “conflict” between pedestrians and those using scooters, wheelchairs, or pushing strollers due to the narrow layout of the existing footbridge -the footbridge is only 1.85 meters wide.

Additionally, poor visibility around direction changes puts users at risk of collisions. Due to the bridge deteriorating, it will be replaced with a new wider one.

Subject to planning approval expected in summer 2025 and Network Rail permission to take temporary control of a section of railway, works are expected to begin at the end of 2026.

Work will focus on removing the bridge to allow the construction of new foundations.

The new footbridge and ramps will be fabricated off-site, transported to the site in sections, and then craned into position. The route is expected to be closed for nine to 12 months on both sides.

The total scheme cost, estimated at £11.5 million, will be funded from DfT Highways Maintenance funding, Havant Borough Council Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), and Section 106 funds from housing developers.

The proposed new footbridge will have a clear internal width of four metres across the main span and 3.5 metres on the ramps.

In addition, the replacement footbridge will connect directly with the cycle route along Elmleigh Road, which links Havant station with the Civic Centre Campus and Havant and South Downs College.

The next step in the plan is to engage with a specialist contractor to start discussing the programme. Hampshire County Council’s cabinet member for universal services will make the final decision on March 3.