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Work begins on city's new £8.3m footbridge

Shariqua AhmedPeterborough
Peterborough City Council An artist's impression of the Cygnet Bridge over the River Nene. It shows a bridge held up by a tower and cables, with greenery and the cathedral in the background.Peterborough City Council
Works to construct Cygnet Bridge over the River Nene are expected to last for 12 months

Preparation work has begun on the site of a new footbridge across a river in a city, a council has said.

The first phase of the construction of Cygnet Bridge in Peterborough, a new £8.3m crossing over the River Nene that will link Fletton Quays with the Embankment, will involve setting up a site compound, offices and welfare facilities.

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

Paul Bristow, the mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: "Peterborough's growth depends on infrastructure like this."

"When we better connect places south of the river, such as Fletton Quays, to the city centre, ARU Peterborough and the Embankment, we create the conditions for businesses to invest and for people to live, work and enjoy the city," he added.

The council said main construction work, which will be carried out by developer M Group, is due to begin in the coming weeks.

Footways around the Embankment will be closed from Monday for the duration of the works, with signed diversions in place.

Peterborough City Council An artist's impression of a large white bridge providing a walkway over a river. The river has a barge on it and a large warehouse is in the distance. People are walking beneath the bridge along the river, with a couple and young family playing near the water. Peterborough City Council
The new footbridge will cost £8.3m to build

The authority added it has been liaising with organisers of major events held on the Embankment, including the Peterborough Beer Festival, and confirmed events would go ahead as planned.

Angus Ellis, the cabinet member for environment and transport at the city council, said: "The bridge will play a key role in creating a more connected, walkable city, improving access across the Embankment.

"The compound and hoardings are going up this week and, over time, residents and visitors will see more cranes on the skyline."

The bridge is one of eight projects in Peterborough being delivered through the government's Towns Fund programme, which aims to support economic growth and regeneration.

The scheme was initially estimated to cost £6.3m. However, in January last year the council requested an additional £2m from the combined authority due to complex design changes and increased costs linked to sewer diversions.

The government's Towns Fund pledged £2m towards the bridge, while the CPCA will now contribute £5.4m - and the remainder will be paid for by Peterborough City Council's redevelopment budget.

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