Walton Bridge is one of only five crossings of the River Thames that are available to local traffic within Surrey. It serves the local communities of Walton and Shepperton, providing access to a number of local schools, major employers, and retail centres.
The crossing also forms part of an important link route that is available to, and used by, all vehicle types, for journeys to and from the local area. Maintaining this historic crossing is important to ensure the economic wellbeing of the area.
A bridge has been in existence at Walton since 1750. It carries the A244 road that connects Feltham, Sunbury, Shepperton, Walton-on-Thames, Hersham, Esher, Oxshott and Leatherhead. The bridge crosses the River Thames just to the west of Walton on Thames town centre, and to the south of Shepperton village. The nearest alternative river crossings are at Hampton Court and Chertsey.
Chertsey Bridge, located 7 km upstream, is a Grade II* listed structure and an ancient monument, with a 17 tonne environmental weight restriction due to its narrow width. Hampton Court Bridge is 8 km downstream, adjacent to the World Heritage Site of Hampton Court Palace, and is Grade II listed. Both of these bridges already carry traffic flows that exceed their design capacity, but due to their historic importance it would be very difficult to obtain planning permission to increase their capacity. It is therefore important to ensure the long-term provision of a river crossing at Walton.
Walton Bridge carries approximately 30,000 to 31,000 vehicles per day, of which approximately 1,200 are Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs). More than 9 out of 10 of all vehicles crossing the bridge either start or finish their journeys within the local boroughs of Elmbridge and Spelthorne. The crossing also provides a pedestrian and cycle link between Walton and Shepperton, and forms part of the Thames Path and National Cycle Network.
Each day around 200 pedestrians use the bridge, and between 200 and 400 cyclists. Additionally, the bridge provides a very important link for the emergency services, (Police, Fire, Ambulance), that serve the communities either side of the river.
The current river crossing is a temporary bridge that was erected in 1999. It was only designed to last 10 years, but an inspection undertaken in February 2008 has shown that, with appropriate maintenance, the life of the bridge can be extended. Planning permission to retain the temporary bridge until December 2014 was granted in January 2008.
Background to the proposed Walton Bridge
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What is needed from a new bridge at Walton
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