Visitor boom causes problems at viaduct.
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In light of WCBC’s application for 2025 City of Culture, I was rather amused by the article that appeared on the news section of this site.
Perhaps I could paraphrase the recent discussion:
‘We welcome visitors to the aqueduct but not too many please as it’s upsetting the locals’
Or have I misinterpreted?
The main problem is that the aqueduct towpath was designed to allow a horse to pass in one direction pulling a canal boat. The towpath was not designed to enable crowds of people to pass in both directions at the same time in a totally unregulated way. It is simple to attract loads of visitors to a site but managing the consequences is not so easy as we are rapidly learning. None of this could not have been anticipated, but an obsession with performance indicators has clouded people’s vision. Building a larger car park is probably going to exacerbate the problem. The best ways to control numbers and regulate visits is to limit access by controlling vehicle numbers, moving car parks to further away from the main site or introducing charges. None of which will be popular in short term, but when crowding on the towpath leads to an accident on the aqueduct it will be too late.
Look at the swift(!) repairs made to the B5605 between Newbridge and Cefn Mawr and then the problem at the aqueduct and nothing will get done any time before 2025..
I am still waiting for feedback on the suggestion that they make the aqueduct into a barge themed log flume to get the youngsters in and a zip wire over it. Or at least build a bridge alongside it so people can walk across safely.
PS “City” of culture is a joke but don’t get me started. Wrexham V Cornwall, two fine cities
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