Incredible new £18m river bridge opens in major UK city
The 278-foot bridge is the first crossing built in the city in nearly 70 years.
A brand new bridge spanning the River Trent in Nottingham has officially opened. Spanning 278 feet and costing £18million, Waterside Bridge, which connects the city to Lady Bay, was built in Hucknall and lifted into place in November.
The crossing opened to pedestrians and cyclists on Tuesday (June 2), while a newly widened and surfaced riverside footpath on the south side of the river has also reopened. The 160-tonne bridge is the first river crossing built in Nottingham since 1958, when the Clifton Bridge, which carries the A52 road to the west of the city opened. This is the next upstream road crossing from the older famous Trent Bridge, which was completed in 1871.
To celebrate its opening, dozens of people gathered, including schoolchildren from William Booth Primary and Lady Bay Primary - two nearby schools on either side of the bridge. They helped cut the ribbon with Nottingham City Council leader, Neghat Khan.
Sarah Ansari, of the charity Walk Wheel Cycle Trust - who was at the opening - told the BBC it was a "great achievement".
"Many years of work has gone into it - connecting Holme Pierrepont with the city," she said. "More opportunities for people to cycle and walk safely, and access the city.
"My daughter is already planning to come with her friends - it's a beautiful destination, not just a link. It's a new safe space."
Susan Young, of the campaign group Pedals, said there are not enough easy river crossings in many areas. She also criticised local infrastructure, saying: “Traffic on the nearby bridges is horrendous and they are not nice for walking either.”
She added that, despite having “lovely cycle routes around here,” it is essential to provide more crossings suitable for people, describing them as “going to be quick and easy".
The Government-funded project has been plagued by delays and increased costs, with its original £9million budget doubling by the time it was completed.
In Nottingham, there are now six major public river crossings spanning the River Trent within the urban area, including vehicular road bridges and dedicated pedestrian and cycle structures.
