In case you are not yet aware, the footbridge at Havant station will close to the public at the end of next week – 28 September, and will remain closed for a period likely to be for at least a year – until the new footbridge is in place.
We at HCS are concerned that many residents north of the railway – including wheelchair users, and those who are infirm, elderly, or otherwise vulnerable – may still be unaware of the closure and will face the lengthy enforced diversion via Eastern Road, New Lane, and Waterloo Road.
While the Hampshire County Council announcement does not mention this point, we understand that Network Rail have said that they are unable to allow non-ticket holders access to the existing internal lifts and bridge, which will be unaffected by these works.
An email from Hampshire County Council Capital Projects, received by Havant Civic Society on Friday 18 September, contained a link to documentation which some residents would be unable to open. We have reproduced the text of that email below, in italic text, with the correct links, and add further detail in an editorial comment below.
Hampshire County Council has appointed GRAHAM to carry out the replacement of the Havant Footbridge. Site mobilisation will begin on 28 September 2026, with the existing footbridge scheduled to be removed in late October 2026. The project is expected to take up to 12 months to complete.
As the bridge crosses the railway line, some stages of the work can only be carried out when trains are not running to ensure a safe working environment. This means progress will depend on access permissions provided by Network Rail. The footbridge is an important link between Havant town centre, the railway station, Havant Park and communities north of the railway line. The new bridge will provide a wider, safer and fully accessible route, making it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle between these areas and supporting local investment in the town centre.
Every effort has been made to minimise disruption. However, due to the restricted space available on site, the bridge’s proximity to the railway, and the need to remove and install large steel structures, temporary diversions will be required during certain phases of the works. A signed pedestrian and cycle diversion route will be in place from 28 September 2026 until the completion of the scheme. This will provide a safe alternative route for pedestrians travelling to and from the railway station while the footbridge is closed. As journeys may take longer than usual, we encourage pedestrians to allow additional time when travelling to the station and other local destinations. Details of the pedestrian and cycle diversion routes can be found on the scheme webpage.
Residents, businesses and anyone who travels through the area are encouraged to sign up to the scheme e-newsletter to receive regular updates throughout construction. The e-newsletter and scheme webpage will be the main sources of information on construction progress and traffic management. Please also share this information with friends, family and colleagues.
For further information, to subscribe to the e-newsletter, and to view the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) which includes car park closures, visit the scheme webpage.
For any enquiries with reference to this scheme, please email bridges@hants.gov.uk.
HCS Editorial comment
The project team at HCC have used Microsoft Sway to provide the public with a sketchy level of detail about the design and most importantly the required diversion routes. Given that the Sway product will be unfamiliar to most viewers, we’ve reproduced the content below as simple images, starting with the diversion routes, shown below. Click the images to enlarge.
The project website contains a single composite graphic image showing the type of construction selected for the new bridge, as seen in these artists’ impressions:
Looking at the images suggests that the likely appearance will be similar (but wider, at 4m across the main span) to the example shown below, at Fishbourne Station.
To view a selection of the engineering drawings for the project, from the planning application, click the image below:
Several people have already commented to us that they are concerned about the extent of the tree works currently in progress at the north east corner of Havant park. The reason would appear to be that the new bridge will extend further over the park than the current bridge, requiring the felling of a number of trees and surgery to others closer to the tennis courts than might have been expected.
The full detail of this activity can be found in the Arboricultural Impact Assessment which can be opened by clicking the image below.
To those with long memories, the final design of the new footbridge is a long way from that suggested in the notorious Havant Regeneration video from 2020. This one is rather more basic, but we hope the works are successful and that it will be at least another fifty years before it falls into the same rusty state as its predecessor.