Nottingham City Council has entered into a £12.6m delivery contract with Balfour Beatty to deliver the city’s new 85-metre-long walking and cycling bridge over the River Trent.
It is expected that more than 100 people will be employed during the project.
The network arch bridge will be 20 metres high from its deck to its peak, weighing in at 160 tonnes.
The new foot and cycle bridge will link the north side of the river where the new Trent Basin community of 350 homes continues to take shape, and the south side of the river with sports facilities, riverside walks and green spaces are close by.
This contract signing signals the start of construction for the bridge scheme, with the first activity on site the demolition of the warehouse previously used by Flo Skate Park – this is required to create the space necessary for the construction of the bridge.
The bridge is expected to be opened in the spring of 2026.
Nottingham City Council will keep residents regularly updated on the progress of the bridge project via its Transport Nottingham website and emails, as well as working to keep nearby residents and businesses updated throughout the project.
The new bridge will be the first built in the city since the 1950s – linking the north side of the river with popular Colwick Park along with the regenerating Trent Basin area, and the south side of the river with its many sports facilities including the City Ground, Trent Bridge, Holme Pierrepont and Nottingham Rugby Club.
The new bridge is entirely funded by the Transforming Cities Fund, provided by Central Government. The bridge will be the flagship, and final project to come out of the City Council’s Transforming Cities Fund programme, which began in 2020 following a successful bid joint bid between Nottingham and Derby for over £160m of central Government funding for projects which encourage inter-city connectivity and lower carbon journeys.
In addition to the construction of the Bridge, work is under way to ensure that it will be well connected to the cycle route on Daleside Road with the wider sustainable transport connections through to the city centre in addition to along the banks of the river to Colwick Park.
Ricky Lee, associate director of project management at Pick Everard who deliver project and cost management and health and safety services for the scheme, said: “This is a landmark scheme for Nottingham City Council and the wider community, with the bridge itself set to be one of longest single-spanning network arch bridges for cyclists and pedestrians in the UK.
“Naturally, a project of this scale requires extensive collaboration across various stakeholders to ensure it is a successful and rewarding scheme for residents and those visiting the city.
“Operating under Perfect Circle via the SCAPE Consultancy Framework, we’re looking forward to work commencing on site, which complements wider regeneration efforts across the city and recognises Nottingham as a sustainable place to work and live.”
Rushcliffe Borough Council’s leader Councillor Neil Clarke said: “This is another milestone for the project and a step closer to more connectivity for residents on both sides of the river for further opportunities to travel in a more sustainable way.
“Creating this new link for cyclists and pedestrians will create easier access to nearby open spaces in Lady Bay and West Bridgford and our local sports grounds and leisure facilities, encouraging more people to make lower carbon journeys.”
