A key regeneration site has been unlocked for future development following the completion of a new bridge over the River Trent in Nottingham.
Waterside Bridge forms part of the core infrastructure needed to further open up the 250-acre Waterside Regeneration Zone, transforming former industrial land into a viable development plot.
The walking and cycling route directly links communities either side of the river, from Victoria Embankment to Colwick Park, improving safe access to homes, leisure, employment and sports sites - including Nottingham Forest and Notts County Football Grounds and Trent Bridge Cricket Ground.
Image: Nottingham City Council
Multi-disciplinary consultancy Pick Everard was appointed to deliver project management, cost management and health and safety services, operating under Perfect Circle and appointed via the SCAPE Consultancy framework.
Supporting sustainable, active travel across the city, the bridge connects the first anchor waterfront neighbourhoods to the south side of the river. This will enable further development, including new homes, retail areas and public spaces.
Ricky Lee, Associate Director of Project Management at Pick Everard, said: “Delivering a project of this scale requires precise planning, from scoping out the end goal to managing timelines and maintaining quality and budget control.
“Waterside Bridge is an important symbol of progress, connection and stability. As well as bringing communities on either side of the river together, it is a significant indicator of the residential, leisure and commercial growth that lies ahead, supported by sustainable active travel options.
“This project has required close collaboration with all parties involved and together we have completed a piece of structural history, while inspiring future phases of the Waterside regeneration scheme.”
The 87-metre, 160-tonne Waterside Bridge was fabricated using British steel at Britons Ltd in Hucknall, and is the first new bridge to be built over the River Trent since the 1950s.
Pick Everard worked alongside Nottingham City Council, main contractor Balfour Beatty and other key partners including Ramboll, Britons, the Canal and River Trust, the Environment Agency, Pedals, Blueprint, Geldards, Active Travel England and funder, the Department for Transport. The bridge was the final project in the council’s £160 million Transforming Cities Fund programme, encouraging sustainable travel and inter-city connectivity.
Kay Slade, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty’s Regional Civils business, said: “The opening of the new Waterside Bridge marks an important milestone for communities across Nottingham. This impressive piece of infrastructure not only creates a vital new connection for residents and visitors, but will also support more sustainable, active travel across the city.
“We are proud to have brought this ambitious scheme to life, we’ve worked at pace since the project was first conceived in 2022 and have developed the complex design and navigated funding requirements and volatile markets to deliver the project on time and on budget. This has drawn on Balfour Beatty’s engineering expertise and working in close partnership with Nottingham City Council, SCAPE, and our local supply chain partners.”
Nottingham City Council Leader Councillor Neghat Khan said: “We are not simply opening a bridge, we are opening new connections, new opportunities and a new chapter for Nottingham.
“For the first time communities on both sides of the River Trent are directly linked by a safe, accessible and attractive walking and cycling route. That means easier journeys to work, safer journeys to school, better access to parks, green spaces, sporting venues, and local services. It will help to unlock the regeneration of the Waterside area, support new homes, new facilities, and new opportunities for our city. Nottingham has shown that we can deliver ambitious, integrated transport projects that genuinely improve people’s lives.”
