CALLS for a public inquiry into the “continued failure to reopen Poole Bridge” are gathering pace.

More than 1,350 people have now signed an online petition, that will eventually be handed into Borough of Poole, calling for the inquiry.

Meanwhile, council officials were scheduled to meet contractors, Interserve, at the bridge site yesterday afternoon for a progress report. A firm decision on its re-opening date remains to be made.

Petition organiser Neil Stewart, a Hamworthy bus driver, explained: “I’m open to the fact they needed to do work on this bridge, it has been there a long time and it needs it.

“But it has been failure after failure. There should have been a major backside kicking by now.”

Support for the online petition received a major boost during last week’s Blandford Road resurfacing work, said Neil.”People have just got fed up with the situation.”

The online petition, at change.org, states: “Poole lifting bridge is going to open (on present schedule released) six months late, after multiple re-open dates have been missed and now we’re being told it’s probably going to be over budget. Someone independent needs to investigate exactly what failures have taken place, who is responsible and what will be done to avoid other council projects becoming a laughing stock.”

The bridge renovation is part of a wider £23.3m investment by the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (DLEP), a business-led private and public sector partnership to promote economic growth. Re-opening of the 90-year-old bridge has been pushed back seven times, and the original £4.7million costs are likely to have grown significantly.

Delays have been blamed on, tough working conditions, late delivery of parts, uncharted utility lines and unmapped remnants of previous bridges. The council said it was not in a position to comment on the petition.