Video: Proposed Plans For Flatts Railway Trail

June 28, 2017

One June 21, a computer-generated video, titled “Flatts Railway Trail Reconnection Proposal, Bermuda” was published on YouTube, showing plans for a pedestrian walkway through Flatts.

The video was produced and published by Peter Carfoot at Linberg & Simmons Architects for The Friends of the Bermuda Rail Way Trail.

Under these plans, the bridge will be built over North Shore Road close to Gibbet Island in Smith’s, joining up with the trail before continuing across the inlet.

The publicly available plans for the walkway state that bridge and the approach will be set at 22 feet 6 inches, providing 20 feet of clearance through Flatts Inlet at high water, similar to Watford bridge. The bridge over North Shore Road will provide a minimum of 16 feet 6 inches of clearance for vehicles traveling along the road in accordance with recommendations from the Highways Section of Public Works.

“The bridges will be constructed according to standard specifications and employ solid stainless steel fixings, mounting brackets and safety rails,” the application states.

“Bridges will be designed to meet category 3 to 4 hurricane criteria, and are the same or similar to the models used at Bailey’s Bay and Winton Hill, which have been tested by four recent hurricanes in Bermuda without incurring structural damages from the wind or water.”

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Comments (26)

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  1. Triangle Drifter says:

    Impressive for sure. Great for walkers & joggers. Would be great for cycle riders too, if motorised bikes are somehow kept off it.

    The big concern, other than the cost, is the maintenance. That looks to be a huge amount of metal to take care of. The initial 5, maybe 10, years will be relatively maintenance free however once the salt gets to it, & maintenance is not kept up, then what? Galvanised metal does not last forever. Talk to anyone who has owned a tower such as one used for ham radio.

    • Onion Juice says:

      So who is gonna pay for this?

      • Meh. says:

        friends of the railway trail. They raised the money for the other bridges as well.

      • Izzypop says:

        There is a committee who raises the guns as they did for the ones in baileys bay

        • Onion Juice says:

          Oh, friends and family of de elite.

          • wahoo says:

            True Bermudians you bitter old cow.

          • zzzzz says:

            Maybe they are friends and family of the elite, but they are doing something for all Bermuda residents to enjoy and asking nothing in return. This is known as being charitable. Some how you manage to see negativity in everything.

          • sandgrownan says:

            Christ, what a prick

            • Thanks for nothing says:

              Keep going onion juice, I mean what gave you ever done apart from moan about people who aren’t like you?

              Typical PLP blame and anger, but where are the solutions, the actions?

              I thought not.

      • Triangle Drifter says:

        Not you, so why would you wurrywiffit?

  2. Clarity says:

    With this plan, the iconic photos of sailboats in Flatts will no longer be possible.

    • Franklin Jr says:

      When’s the last time you saw one? You’d be bat-crap crazy to take a sailboat anywhere near Flatts.

      There’s, I think, ONE live-aboard that used to be in there in recent memory

      By all means though, I’d be happy to be wrong

      • Make a new plan Stan says:

        That huge catamaran with the tall mast has been in Flatts more than a few times during the last few weeks…..it’s an amazing sight to see…..

        • Make a new plan Stan says:

          I don’t know how tall it is….

    • Meh. says:

      you could take new iconic photos from the bridge

  3. Triangle Drifter says:

    The entrance to Flatts is so shoaled up no deep draft boat can get in anymore. 20′ air draft for the bridge is ample for anything kept in Flatts these days.

  4. George says:

    Yuk yuk and yuk.

  5. Silvery says:

    Beautiful. I hated having to walk across the street and up the trail and across someone’s driveway to get back on the trail.

  6. ISO200 says:

    Ugly looking thing. If your going to ruin the view at least ruin it with a bit of taste! I remember my mother saying how hideous the old railway bridge was, now it’s back!

  7. A Chap called Vanz says:

    Why not have a boardwalk along south road from Warwick long bay to Church bay?

    It would be much cheaper than bridges etc and make walking/running along there much safer.

  8. alternative design? says:

    i love the idea and i use the other bridges at shelly and baileys bay regularly however i would like to see a design which doesnt run 15+ ft above the ground over the beach.

    It would be way less bridge, preserve the park and allow people to cross the water still

  9. Hopeful............ says:

    This is a project that will benefit ‘all’ Bermudians, whether you participate or not. Open a public account and I will make my contribution. I did manage to see the old trains before the departure and used the ‘tracks’ during my life time. I’m a ‘black’ burmujan, love the railway trail.

  10. Hopeful............ says:

    This is a project that will benefit ‘all’ Bermudians, whether you participate or not. Open a public account and I will make my contribution. I did manage to see the old trains before the departure and used the ‘tracks’ during my life time. I’m a ‘black’ burmujan, love the railway trail.
    Someone may have made similar comments!!

  11. BDA girl says:

    Nice, but it doesn’t look very “Bermudian” and the covered pet is absolutely hideous. Imagine it in 10-15 years when it rusts.

  12. ImJustSayin says:

    Wait until they start charging a toll for the upkeep.

  13. Sheena Storie says:

    Will spoil flats inlet for a few walkers
    And it is still crossing someone’s yard and the little beach
    Can we not have a beautiful inlet view
    With no bridges?