CAN I thank Mike Fairlee (Warrington Guardian, May 25) for supporting a proposal I made on these pages some two years ago.

He refers to the bridge over the Mersey in Forrest Way which leads to a cycle-path through Arpley Meadows to Eastford Road and on to the A5060 Chester Road.

As we have both separately suggested, the conversion of that cycle-path – a length of some 600 yards – to a roadway would create a through route for traffic, which would avoid the Bridge Foot complex.

The borough council is instead intent on constructing a new bridge over the Mersey – not far from that existing one and at a cost of £19 million – to fulfil that very same purpose.

Admittedly our proposed route would accommodate only one-way traffic – because of the narrow arch of the railway bridge in Eastford Road – but a one-way route was all the borough council had originally proposed, anyway.

Added impetus is given to our proposal by the closure this year of the Arpley landfill site, thereby rendering the existing bridge redundant.

But how boring it must be for planners to utilise an existing bridge.

How much more exciting to build a new one at a cost of £19 million, especially when it’s other people’s money involved.

CHRIS HAGGETT Penketh