Mill Road Bridge Closure
Mill Road is an iconic part of Cambridge. Steeped in history, diversity, community spirit and plenty of independent traders, it’s no wonder that The Sunday Times (14 April 2019) described it as the ‘mile-long beating heart’ of the area. Today, July 1st, Mill Road Bridge closes for 8 weeks. This is to carry out work to expand the railway below which includes the modification of one of the arches. Still, the bridge will be open for crossing by pedestrians and cyclists, who must dismount, for all but a handful of days during the period of the works.
Sweet Gill D’Apollonio, a co-founder of Maurizio Dining & Co, located on Mill Road, spoke to some residents and traders for their views on the impact this could have.
Impact on traders
Pam Wesson, vintage emporium Fantasia, and a local resident said, “It’s a bit like Brexit, we don’t actually know how it will impact us yet.” Pam also recently created a Mill Road Mile map to show every single shop on both sides of the bridge. So, without the noise and distraction of traffic, the next few weeks are the perfect time to explore everything along this stretch of road. The map is free and available from most independent traders on Mill Road.
Other retailers have their worries: the manager of The Sea Tree said, “It could have an impact on our deliveries and although they ( County Council and Govia Themes Railway) say there will be access for bikes and walkers, I haven’t seen any evidence of this happening yet.”
But importantly the businesses along Mill Road want to get the message out that it is business as usual. “We will continue to support each other as traders to make sure our customers know it’s business as usual.” Said Maurizio D’Apollonio, Maurizio Dining & Co.
Impact on residents
Some residents are anxious, their comments reveal their fears. “It will make going to work more difficult and I have many concerns about noise pollution.” Another said, “I hope they finish it as quickly as they say they will, and I’m not looking forward to the detour in the car,” to highlight concerns about the impact on traffic.
There are others who are looking forward to a traffic-free road because it is much safer for pedestrians.
In conclusion, let’s hope that disruption is kept to a minimum, and local residents will continue to support our independent traders.
By Sweet Gill D’Apollonio, co-founder of Maurizio Dining & Co
For further information
Useful links:
Mill Road Supporters:
- https://overmillroadbridge.org.uk
- mill-road.com
- https://www.camcycle.org.uk/campaigning/issues/millroad/
Changes to bus services:
Govia Thames Railways (GTR):
You may be interested in scuseme what interviews with Mill Road Traders