Cost of first new bridge over Trent Bridge since 1950s doubles
The cost of the new footbridge across the River Trent has almost doubled in the five years since the cash was secured to build it.
The new 85-metre long pedestrian and cycle bridge over the River Trent between Trent Basin is expected to receive a final approval from the Council at its Executive Board meeting next Tuesday (22 October).
Once this approval is given, the project will get a final go-ahead from the Department for Transport before contracts are signed and work can begin in the new year.
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 for over £160m of central Government funding for projects which encourage inter-city connectivity and lower carbon journeys.
The new traffic-free bridge will be the first to be built over the river Trent since Clifton Bridge in the 1950s.
The need for a bridge was identified in Nottingham City Council’s Waterside Supplementary Planning Document in 2019. The council secured £9.25m from the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund to deliver the scheme as part of a programme to invest in local transport infrastructure.
However, the council says that, since the project began, plans have evolved as the design and methods of construction have been refined and this along with other factors outside of its control, including Covid, the war in Ukraine and periods of high inflation means that the maximum delivery budget for the total project is now £18m. The final construction costs will be confirmed by December.
Despite this, the council is pressing on with the project. It says it intends to enter into contracts with the lead contractor Balfour Beatty in January with enabling works starting early next year.
Then, into the spring and summer, a warehouse used by Flo Skate park will be demolished to make way for the bridge sections to be brought to site and erected before being lifted into place by a gigantic crane during autumn 2025. The new bridge is expected to officially open in early 2026.
Nottingham City Council Leader and Executive Member for Strategic Regeneration, Transport and Communications, Councillor Neghat Khan said: “I’m proud to present this ambitious project to create a new landmark bridge for Nottingham at our Executive Board on 22 October.
“The new bridge will be the first built over the Trent in Nottingham for more than 60 years, creating a vital link between developing new communities and opening up new safer commuter and leisure routes, offering a huge boost to cyclists, pedestrians and runners as well as everyone in our city through improving air quality and congestion.”