Construction starts on £8.3m river footbridge

2 hours ago

Shariqua AhmedPeterborough

News image — Construction works for the new Cygnet Bridge in Peterborough has begun

Shariqua Ahmed/BBC A construction site with yellow digger and a truck and two people wearing orange high-visibility suits. — Construction works for the new Cygnet Bridge in Peterborough has begun

Construction has begun on a new footbridge across a city's river, and completion is expected within the next 12 months.

The first phase of the £8.3m Cygnet Bridge project, which will link Fletton Quays with the Embankment in Peterborough, began last month, with a site compound, offices and facilities for workers set up near the Key Theatre.

Work has since progressed along the Embankment, where landscaping has started to create a pathway leading up to the crossing.

Shabina Qayyum, the Labour leader of Peterborough City Council, said: "The bridge will increase connectivity between the north and south of Peterborough.

"We need bridges for growth and prosperity, ensuring people can access amenities on both sides of the river."

Parts of the 311ft (95m) structure will be prefabricated off-site before being installed later this year.

Peterborough City Council Mock-up of the bridge during sunset where people are walking along the riverside and sitting along the river. — The bridge aims to link the south of Peterborough with the city centre

The scheme is jointly funded by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA), the government's Towns Fund and Peterborough City Council.

Paul Bristow, the CPCA mayor, said the project would help revitalise the Embankment.

"I think it's a great idea because it will bring the Embankment into better use.

"There are issues with anti-social behaviour, but this is the start of a wider vision for the area," he said.

Shariqua Ahmed/BBC Embankment with a white Swan sitting on green grass and buildings can be seen in the distance along the river bank. — The council said the Cygnet Bridge will improve connectivity and regenerate the Embankment

The bridge has faced mixed reactions, with some residents describing the project as a "waste of money", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Toby Wood, from the Peterborough Civic Society, who has been campaigning for the bridge, said it could be "the first step towards the development of the Embankment" and he hoped to be "one of the first people to walk on the bridge".

The project was initially estimated to cost £6.3m, but rose to £8.3m due to design changes and increased expenses linked to sewer diversions.

The Towns Fund has contributed £2m towards to project, with £5.4m being funded from the CPCA and the remainder from the council.

Qayyum added: "For far too long, we've had no regeneration and it's positive that we have the council, the combined authority, working together in consensus for the benefit of our city and I'd like people to focus on that culture of collaboration."