River Trent footbridge lifted into place

The first new bridge to be constructed across the River Trent in Nottingham for more than 60 years has been successfully installed.

Having been fully assembled on a nearby plot and weighing 175t, the 87m-long Waterside Footbridge, which features a 20m-high arch, was lifted into place by a single crawler crane.

Working on behalf of main contractor Balfour Beatty, steelwork contractor Briton Fabricators, had previously undertaken a trial erection of the bridge at its nearby facility in Hucknall.

Once complete in spring 2026, the new walking and cycling bridge will form an important part of Nottingham’s active travel network – enabling new connections and routes on both sides of the river.

The bridge will be the final project to come out of the City Council’s Transforming Cities Fund programme, which began in 2020 following a successful bid for over £160 million of central Government funding for projects which encourage inter-city connectivity and lower-carbon journeys.

Councillor Linda Woodings, Executive Member for Regional Development, Growth and Transport at Nottingham City Council, said: “This is a big milestone moment for our project to build a new bridge over the river Trent – it was thrilling to be at the riverside and see it land on its supports just as planned.”

Sunil Karra, Project Director at Balfour Beatty, said: “We’re extremely proud to have safely and successfully completed this major milestone. This complex bridge lift was made possible through detailed planning and close collaboration with our project partners and the Council.

“We now look forward to completing the remaining works, and connecting communities on both sides of the river.”