Henley Bridge is finally set to be replaced (no, not our one)

A BRIDGE in our German twin town that was named after Henley is to be rebuilt.

Henley Bridge is one of three crossings in Leichlingen which spans the Wupper, a tributary of the Rhine, that runs through the centre of the town.

Each of the three bridges are each named after twin towns, the others are Marly-le-Roi in France and Funchal on the Portuguese island of Madeira.

Henley Bridge, which connects the market place and the town hall, is for pedestrians and cyclists, was closed in October 2019 after falling into disrepair.

It was first built in 1990 as a visible sign of connection between Henley and Leichlingen on the 10th anniversary of the twinning partnership.

The new bridge will be 44m long by 5m wide and be coloured grey and green, a reference to the Leichlingen apple logo, a sculpture of which was donated to Henley in 2012 and is currently being refurbished.

Leichlingen Town Council owns the bridge but 90 per cent of the £1.7m project is being funded by the German government. Work started on excavating the site of the old bridge in November.

Concrete work started earlier this month while the bridge is currently being constructed in parts in a workshop. The parts will be delivered to and assembled on site in the spring and it is hoped the bridge can be reopened in the summer.

Part of the market place has been fenced off for the duration of the work.

Mayor Frank Steffes said: “I am very happy that the new Henley Bridge will be built this year to help the people of Leichlingen once more to cross the Wupper and shorten their way between the two parts of the town centre.

“Naming the bridge after our British twinned town is a constant positive reminder of the deep and long-lasting friendship established between our two towns. Through dedicated efforts and voluntary work of committed individuals in our two towns, we have created the twinning societies who organise regular visits year after year.

“I have been Mayor of Leichlingen for the last 10 years and during that time I have enjoyed multiple visits together with the twinning societies to Henley and the returning visits from Henley to Leichlingen.”

The council originally wanted to rebuild the bridge in 2020 but this was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic and shortly after the bridge was demolished in 2021 the town was hit by flooding.

Mr Steffes said: “This natural disaster caused heavy damage to infrastructure and many municipal buildings and needed expensive and complex renovations.

“Therefore, the bridge project was delayed again in favour of more pressing renovations of municipal buildings that were more important for the overall infrastructure of Leichlingen.

“Those renovations are still ongoing to this day, nonetheless the rebuilding of the Henley Bridge has finally started and is supposed to be finished in the upcoming summer.

“The extra time gained was used to update the construction plan to make the future bridge more resistant to possible future flooding events.”

Mr Steffes said once completed, the bridge will make a “huge improvement” for residents of the town.

He said: “It has been a long time since the citizens of Leichlingen have had to make do without Henley Bridge which spans the Wupper at a strategically vital point.

“It connects the market square and the town hall, shortening the time needed for travellers by foot and bicycle to pass between those two central locations in the town centre.

“The new bridge is also a huge improvement for the town hall staff, who will be much faster in the centre of town during their lunch breaks by using the bridge.

“Since the bridge will only be used by pedestrians and cyclists it also offers a safe and low-traffic passage for children and elderly to cross between the two halves of the town centre.

“It will be painted grey and green in accordance with the logo of the town hall and the city government of Leichlingen. The green colour is also meant to incorporate itself pleasingly into the surrounding nature of the Wupper and its green lawn shores.“

Mr Steffes said he values the connection between Germany and the UK and he believes it will become even more important in the future.

He said: “A lot of countries in the European Union and the rest of the world are experiencing a rise of right-wing parties with nationalist tendencies and protectionist world views right now.

“The municipal government as a pillar of democracy has to promote and encourage a collaborative, open-minded and peaceful mindset. To strengthen the democratic ideals that are so very important for a united and free country and an egalitarian and just government, not only in Germany itself but also in connection with its neighbouring countries.

“Therefore, I value the long-term connection to Henley and its citizens that the twinning societies created many years ago and uphold and encourage up to this day.”