Ixworth schoolboy, 8, writes letter to parish council and Suffolk Highways pleading for bridge to be built over the A143
A schoolboy has pleaded for a bridge to be built over a busy stretch of road so he and others can safely cross it in a letter he has written to a parish council.
Jacob Black, 8, regularly crosses the A143 in Ixworth with his mum, Clare, and is often left feeling scared due to how fast cars travel along the road.
The 60mph stretch is frequented by thousands of drivers on a daily basis, and with a new housing development planned for the village, the volume of traffic is likely to increase.
Jacob's mum, Clare, who is on Ixworth Parish Council, said: "The reason why it came up is because we have got a dog and we have been going over the bypass for walks. Once you get over the road it is gorgeous, but it is just that bypass that you have to cross.
"It is a horrible road, and I am on my own with the dog and my two boys, and we have to stand on this road ready to cross. We were doing it everyday and Jacob said 'this is crazy'.
"They hate it, they hate crossing it."
Parish councillors have been campaigning for safer access since it was first built in 1986.
Ben Lord, a parish councillor in Ixworth, has been asking for a bridge to give better access to those using the footpath since he first joined the council 10 years ago.
"When I became a parish councillor in 2011 it was one of my first priorities to get a bridge over this road," he said.
"All we are doing is handing down the problem to future generations."
Spurred on by his fears, Jacob has now written a letter to Ixworth Parish Council, asking for a safer crossing to be put in place.
His letter said: "I walk across the bypass everyday with my little brother and my mum. When we stand at the road I get really scared by all the fast cars and lorries.
"I think we need a bridge to make it safer and quicker to cross the road.
"If we had a bridge more people would be able to cross and see the lovely views. And animals would be able to cross without getting killed."
His letter added that he 'does not want anyone to be killed' and that a bridge would make it 'much safer'.
A spokesperson for Suffolk Highways said: "We would like to thank Jacob for bringing his concerns to our attention.
"We are aware of a proposal for a pedestrian bridge to be constructed over the A143 in the area around Crown Lane. However, we are unable to provide any timescales at this stage, as the delivery of the bridge will be funded by contributions from a number of developments in the area.
"We will provide the County Councillor with updates as these become available."
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