HE is Ipswich Town's hero and now is set to be honoured by having a bridge named after him.
HE is Ipswich Town's hero and now is set to be honoured by having a bridge named after him.
It can be revealed today that the new bridge for pedestrians and cyclists, which stretches across the River Orwell from a new housing estate to West End Road, will be named after sporting legend Sir Bobby Robson.
The Sir Bobby Robson Bridge, which was constructed at the end of last year, is already an impressive landmark in the town.
Its new name is especially appropriate given its short distance to the Portman Road ground where the man himself experienced so much professional glory.
The Evening Star received scores of entries to name the bridge but it was the chance to honour the football legend that swung the vote.
Those who put Sir Bobby's name forward are in with a chance of winning �500 when one entrant is picked from a hat when the bridge is officially opened in March.
The last time Sir Bobby came to the town was last May for the 30th anniversary of the Blues'1978 FA Cup win.
Evening Star editor Nigel Pickover said: “We gave him the day of his life at the reunion of the FA Cup-winning team.
“At the occasion he said some wonderful things about Ipswich. Now he must be thrilled that people want to name this bridge after him.”
The new bridge links the new Fairview estate with the town centre, which will give the new residents easy access to the Russell Road area of the town, where the first shop under the borough council's Grafton House headquarters, a Premier Foods store, has just been opened.
It will also link a major housing estate with an important office area, which incorporates the borough's Grafton House offices, the county's Endeavour House headquarters, the Crown Court building and - in the future - the new magistrates' court.
The bridge was a major feature of the Fairview development and was a condition of the planning permission when the firm was given the go-ahead for the project.
- What other Ipswich legends do you think should be honoured? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.
Other entries received for names of bridges:-
- Wishbone Bridge
- Allwell Way
- The Cobbold Bridge
- Voyager Way Bridge
- Bridge of Sighs
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