A bridge could be named Bridgy McBridge-Face after £10,000 was awarded to give it a makeover.
Neighbours scooped the cash from the town hall to spruce up two footbridges off Essex Road in Barking.
Tim Hunt, of St Awdry's Road, has been working with social enterprise Street Space to spruce up the area since 2018.
He said: "The state of the bridges is disgusting. Often there’s excrement or drug waste lying around. They’re unsafe and an embarrassment to Barking.
"[They] are used by hundreds of people everyday as they are the most direct route to three schools and Barking train station.
"They can and should be kept in a much better state and this funding will help us to do this.”
The Barking Bridge Project will form a team of locals keen to improve the bridges. There are plans to work with artists on ideas.
One idea is to hold a competition to name the bridges. Options include Bridgy McBridge-Face, Bridget Jones, Chaz and Dave as well as Peto and Stride after the engineers who designed the railway line.
Cast your vote here and be entered into a prize draw for £50 of shopping vouchers.
There is also an online survey for people who use the bridges.
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