A FOOTBRIDGE has been re-opened to the public despite safety fears which led to its closure.

Pedestrians were barred from using the Alexander Footbridge, which links Hanover Road and Radipole Park Drive near Weymouth train station, because a structural survey revealed it was badly corroded.

But now engineers from Dorset County Council and Network Rail have agreed to restore the popular shortcut until it is replaced by a new bridge in May 2006.

Mike Winter, head of Dorset Engineering Consultancy, said: "The closure was based on a very detailed Network Rail assessment where consultants recommended closure.

"We could not really ignore that warning and had to take action.

"But that assessment did not take into account the fact the bridge will be replaced in six months.

"Now Network Rail has advised we can re-open it as long as we look at various safety factors and we are quite comfortable with that.

"We will be going down to inspect it on a monthly basis."

Mr Winter said 'a few' people had told the council last month's closure of the bridge posed an inconvenience and some had even jumped over barriers to cross it.

He added: "The importance of the Alexander Footbridge crossing has never been under-estimated and this is why we asked Network Rail to reconsider their position.

"Access across the railway should now be maintained until May when the existing structure will be removed as part of the works to install a replacement bridge."

A Network Rail spokesman said: "We had some structural safety concerns about using the bridge but now we are confident it can be re-opened for the next six months if certain conditions like crowd loading are observed."

Tenders for the design/build contract for a new bridge will be submitted this week and a contract awarded in December.