NCN 1 Trip Planning
The Humber Bridge
The plan
The plan is to cycle form Lincoln to Newcastle, now that the winter lockdown is being relaxed.
Late March 2021
Covid releases its grip. The government begins to release its citizens from their long months of lockdown. We are free to ride again. I plan the route ahead which crosses the Humber on the world’s seventh longest suspension bridge.
6 April 2021 BBC News Bulletin
The paths on either side of the 1.4mile (2,200m) long bridge carry pedestrians and cyclists. They have been closed for "an indefinite period". A spokesperson for the Humber Bridge Board said it was due to an unspecified "recent incident".
The spokesperson said: "We appreciate this might cause some inconvenience, but we ask that pedestrians and cyclists respect the decision and avoid the Humber Bridge at the present time.” bbc.co.uk
thelincolnite.co.uk
The Humber Bridge Board has defended its decision to close the footpaths on the bridge, after six people died there in just one month.
Despite spending £250,000 on suicide prevention measures every year, the Humber Bridge was forced to close its footpaths indefinitely this week, after a tragic string of six deaths in one month.
Six people, including a teenage girl from Willerby near Hull, lost their lives at the bridge between March 3 and April 3 this year, and it is estimated that over 200 people have died there since the bridge opened.
A petition has since been launched calling for extra measures to help 'secure' the Humber Bridge and prevent or significantly reduce the amount of suicide attempts there.
https://road.cc/content/news/humber-bridge-path-closed-cyclists-indefinitely-282289
This closure – which has now been in place for 20 days and counting – is the first time in almost 200 years that walkers and cyclists have been unable to cross the Humber.
Duncan Dollimore, Head of Campaigns, Cycling UK cyclinguk.org (Writing an open letter to the Humber Bridge Board)
What if any temporary mitigation measures are being put in place to provide alternative means for cyclists and pedestrians to cross the bridge, or to cross the Humber Estuary in the vicinity of the bridge, while the footway remains closed, and when might they be implemented?
May 2021
Bridge reopens to commuting pedestrians and cyclists
Communique from Humber Bridge
To enable your crossing, please ensure that you:
Arrive at the access point on the footpath
Provide a form of ID to confirm your identity (Passport, Driving Licence, Birth Certificate)
Provide evidence that confirms your employment (work pass, letter of employment)
You will then be processed by security staff and allowed to cross the bridge.
For clarity, we are only offering this to members of the public that have no other means of transportation. If you can travel using other transportation – we encourage you to do so. We are not currently offering to support cyclists that cross for leisure or pedestrians at the moment.
15 May
Email from me to the Humber Bridge
Good morning,
I would be grateful if you would confirm for me that I will be able to cycle across the Humber by using the footway/cycleway on the bridge on the afternoon of Monday 26th May 2021. My understanding is that I do not need to register with you as I am using the bridge between 0500 and 2100. I hope this is correct. I look forward to hearing from you.
With kind regards
Sat 15 May Humber Bridge Mail
mail+canned.response@humberbridge.co.uk
Thank you for getting in touch with the Humber Bridge.
We are currently experiencing an extremely high volume of emails so to best support you - we advise that…..For all other enquiries, we will come back within 7-10 days.
Thank you in advance for your patience regarding this matter.
Journal Note
|I haven’t much patience with this matter. 7-10 days? Surely not?
Tue 18 May Humber Bridge Mail
Hi Julian,
Yes you can cross without registering if between 5am and 9pm
Kind regards
Karyn
Email reply to Karn
Thanks for your prompt reply.
Journal Note
I print off this reply from Karyn and pack it in my cycle bags, should it be needed.
Continuum
Now I can cross the Humber, the next thing in the planning is to book myself and my bike onto a train.
LNER Email
We are pleased to tell you that we have successfully reserved you a bike space on your train so you can relax as we’ve taken care of it.
Booking reference PDF London King’s Cross - Newark North Gate.
Continuum
Only problem is that I am going to Lincoln not Newark North Gate
Summary of a call to LNER
Deal tells me , after 35 minutes of hanging onto a phone whilst being told that ‘my call is important’ that I have to change at Newark onto another ‘travel provider’, where a ‘train manager’ will allow me onto an East Midlands Railway service from Newark to Lincoln, providing there is room on the train.
Continuum
Availability is on a first come first served basis.
A lottery, could be another way of describing it;
it does not make for relaxing travel.
Coronavirus
CovidLiveUK
A new variant, the Indian variant, (later referred to as the Delta variant) as it’s being called, is sweeping the North. The map showing the number of cases per region is darkening. The South, East and West are light. The East Midlands a darker shade. North Lincolnshire, Middlesborough and Newcastle are dark.
The Bridge is open, the bike is booked on a train - sort of - my bag is packed and bike serviced. Covid though has other ideas about this short tour……