Hurrah for the County Council part 2

The new footbridge across the Cam at Riverside is due to open to the public from midday on Thursday, 5 June.



The landmark £3 million bridge for cyclists and pedestrians will be the first new river crossing in Cambridge since the Elizabeth Way Bridge was opened in 1971, and will provide a much-needed cycling and walking link into and out of the City Centre. The bridge design was the winner in a competition voted for by the public and a panel of experts.

The spectacular new bridge spans the River Cam and provides a link from St Andrew's Road in Chesterton across to Riverside. It includes features such as a low level walkway, a separate cycleway, and seating areas for people to relax and enjoy views of the river. The bridge is made up of a 70-tonne arched steel frame, with approach ramps either side.

Cambridgeshire County Councillor Matt Bradney, Cabinet Member for Growth and Infrastructure, said: "The new bridge will bring major long term benefits for pedestrians and cyclists in the area and will help to build fantastic links between the communities in the East Chesterton and Abbey areas of Cambridge. As well as this, the striking modern design of the bridge gets the right balance of respecting the existing surroundings whilst providing a high quality, innovative and attractive structure."

The bridge is to be opened on Thursday by John Grimshaw, Chief Executive of the sustainable transport charity Sustrans, who says, "This bridge is a fantastic addition to the National Cycle Network in Cambridge and its high quality design will provide a fast, seamless and attractive route for cyclists and pedestrians alike. I'm delighted to play a part in the opening of the bridge and I look forward to seeing people use it for the first time. "

Delivery of the new bridge was managed from inception to completion by Cambridgeshire County Council. It was designed and engineered by a multi-disciplinary team from architects Ramboll Whitbybird, with the seating areas designed by the artist Gerry Judah. Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering built the bridge, and the supervising consultants were Atkins.


Works to build the bridge have been underway since April of 2007 and it was funded by Central Government's Growth Area Fund and by developers working in the area.