King’s Lynn ferry to be out of action for several weeks due to ‘deterioration’ and concrete falling into river

King’s Lynn: The West Lynn ferry is going to be out of service for a while. They found some serious issues with the landing platform, and it’s just not safe right now.

During a routine check, workers discovered that nine steps on the platform were in bad shape. They realized it was unsafe to keep the ferry running without fixing it first.

Last year, a structural survey showed some needed repairs, and they started working on the handrails earlier this week. But then, things took a turn.

Yesterday, the engineering team found that one of the steps was in worse condition than they thought. To make matters worse, some concrete had actually fallen into the river below.

For everyone’s safety, the borough and county councils decided to close the ferry while they figure out what to do next. It looks like the ferry will be out for several weeks.

Cllr Michael De Whalley, who oversees the ferry, emphasized that safety is the top priority. He thanked the staff for quickly helping people get home when the ferry shut down.

He mentioned that there are nine other steps on the West Lynn side that also need attention before they can reopen the ferry.

Richard Stannard, who runs the ferry, said it makes sense to pause the service while they sort out these safety issues. They’re working closely with the council to get back up and running as soon as possible.

Cllr Alex Kemp, a local representative, expressed her frustration that these repairs weren’t done sooner. She’s worried about how the closure is affecting school kids and local workers.