I couldn't believe my eyes when I picked up a copy of this week's Lowestoft Journal.
Their front page lead was, 'Get set for new bridge'.
Well you could have knocked me down with a seagull feather. My gob has never been so smacked. Lowestoft is getting a new bridge! Traffic congestion would be consigned to history and the odd nightmare or two.
A new bridge for Lowestoft has been on the cards since I don't know when and here was the Lowestoft Journal trumpeting that we were to get a new bridge. I very nearly broke open a bottle of cooking sherry for a mid-morning celebratory snifter!
Whoa! Steady Tiger... Just read on a bit further and you see that the headline will sell some extra copies but the news it delivers is far from earth-shattering.
This isn't going to be the long-awaited and needed third crossing for Lowestoft.
Instead it's a four metre wide swing bridge that will cater for pedestrians and cyclists.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all for Suffolk County Council and the government spending money in Lowestoft but this doesn't get away from the fact that we still desperately need that third crossing.
Lowestoft is a great town, with great businesses and has a great future - as long as we don't stifle future growth because of our poor North / South roads.
Let's hope that the integrated transport plans do help Lowestoft to grow and provide much needed help to local businesses.
