Designs have been unveiled for a long-awaited footbridge to link a divided community.

People in Cutteslowe, north Oxford, have been campaigning for three years for a bridge over the A40 northern by-pass, which splits the estate in two.

The Highways Agency has now unveiled four designs, which will be exhibited at a public meeting next week.

Geoff Nutt, chief executive of the Cutteslowe Bridge Project campaign group, said: "This bridge will finally unite the people of Cutteslowe. "We want it built as soon as possible but it is important that people contribute to its design.

"This is an important gateway to Oxford and we would like something special."

The Highways Agency has agreed to spend £375,000 on the new bridge, which is expected to open in June next year.

Blueprints include two straightforward designs, within the Highways Agency budget, and two more elaborate proposals, which would require further funding.

All four designs feature a covered walkway to shelter pedestrians and cyclists from the elements and prevent objects being thrown on to the road beneath. Highways officials will be on hand to discuss the plans at an exhibition at Cutteslowe First School, in Wren Road, on Tuesday, April 13, from 3pm to 9pm. The designs will also be on display at Summertown Library, South Parade, on Friday, April 16, and Saturday, April 17.

The main users of the new bridge are expected to be 250 schoolchildren who cross between north and south Cutteslowe daily.

Story date: Thursday 08 April

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