Businesses are looking forward to the reopening of Windsor Station footbridge after a tough couple of months.

On January 2, the footbridge joining Windsor and Eton Central train station and the coach park at Alexandra Gardens closed for work, that was predicted to last 17 weeks.

It came after work was pushed back until after the Christmas trading period, at the request of Indie Rabble and other businesses under the Arches. Lift maintenance took place in the month before Christmas.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead have now confirmed that the footbridge will be reopening on Tuesday, May 7.

It is believed that the bridge refurbishment, along with upgrades at nine car parks, will make the town more welcoming and forms part of the 'Vision for Windsor', with the investment coming from Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

However, during the work, businesses have been hit with an up to 90 per cent loss of tourist trade.

Alex Rowlands co-owns Indie Rabble, which can be found under the Arches. He said: "It has been significantly quieter than we thought it would be.

"We used to find tourists coming from the coach park would see us on their way into Windsor and visit on their way back. We had lots of Americans and people from all over the world."

"Since the scaffolding it has just been locals. We need the tourist trade."

Krysia Ahmed owns the Garden Cafe and adjacent Souvenir Shops and has seen business rise and fall in the 40 years she has been next to the coach park.

Due to the bridge closure and diversion route, Ms Ahmed believes her businesses have been bypassed.

"We have been quite badly affected by this," she said.

"We have lost well over 50 per cent of footfall. We are trying our best to get people in.

"The coaches bring a massive amount of tourists - around 70 coaches a day."

Ms Ahmed is 72 and believes she will have to work another two years to make up for lost trade during Covid and the bridge closure.

The footbridge works have included refurbishment of the lift, cleaning and repainting of the steel structure, preventative maintenance and anti-corrosion works, installation of new lighting, and cleaning the Perspex canopy.

Since the project began, the bridge has been encapsulated in scaffolding, which will be removed following final repair and redecoration works.

Meanwhile, car park improvements are nearly complete at Alexandra Gardens, Alma Road, the Coach Park, Eton Court, Home Park, King Edward VII Avenue, Meadow Lane, River Street and Romney Lock.

User-friendly upgrades include re-lined bays, illuminated signage, and new shelters and lighting over payment machines. 

Councillor Amy Tisi, Cabinet member for children’s services, education and Windsor, said: “Attention to the footbridge was long overdue. Repairs had to be completed before further deterioration and we worked to minimise impact for businesses.

"I’d like to thank everyone for their ongoing patience and I’m sure many of us look forward to walking across the fully refurbished bridge, which will serve the town well for many years to come.”

A council spokesperson added: “After listening to concerns from businesses, the council split these important works into two phases to completely avoid the crucial Christmas trading period last year to help the local business community, with no scaffolding or bridge closure taking place during the first phase of the project.

“The footbridge is a key gateway into Windsor, and the council is required to repair and maintain it under a lease with Network Rail. While there’s never an ideal time to complete such works, this scheme was vital as the bridge has not been maintained for many years and it was important it was completed before further deterioration. We’d like to thank businesses, residents and visitors for their patience and understanding during the works.”