[olduser]

Found on the BBC news;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj40xzzx1xpo

Building bridges for pedestrians, in my book, is a no no.
Why should pedestrians be forced to climb and descend because car users are to lazy to pay attention?
If that is a solution then the road/s should change elevations not pedestrians.

On Google street view, it looks as though there are T/L controlled pedestrian crossings to cross the A31 but these are arranged to get pedestrians onto the central reservation, and a separate crossing to get them off.

This arrangement is asking for someone to chance crossing with no assistance from the lights, as a crossing pedestrian needs to wait for the lights to do their full 'cross' cycle twice.
Seeing as the cars can easily recover any lost time, much more easily than the pedestrians, let them wait, and stop both lanes of the A31 together.
And arrange the pedestrians a straight (direct) crossing.

It is an interesting puzzle.

Or is there a better way?

[Rolebama]

I don't see any real problem with asking pedestrians to use a footbridge. There are a few within a five mile radius of my home. I know they do not all have wheelchair access though, but I am not aware of anyone demanding it on those without.
When a collision occurs between a vehicle and a pedestrian, it is invariably the pedestrian that comes off worse, so to me, it makes perfect sense to build a footbridge. After all there are probably the same amount of idiots on foot as in cars*. As to the time loss, the same argument applies to pedestrians.
*I have noticed an increase in the amount of pedestrians who wander into the road near a zebra or pelican crossing the minute traffic starts to slow.

[olduser]

It must be a long time since you used a pedestrian bridge, in windy rainy weather.
I, for one, now have to use a walking frame, going up on well designed bridges is exhausting but going down is impossible without lots of help.
And the cars go by without having to slow!
How nice for them.

I have always thought it was the wrong way round, even as a motorist, it should be the traffic that is forced into going under or over not pedestrians but for years we have striven to keep the traffic moving, why?