The full construction of the first new bridge over the River Trent in 60 years is now expected to begin “early 2025”, Nottingham City Council says.
The pedestrian and cycle bridge will link Trent Basin, off Daleside Road in the city, to the south bank of the river close to the Hook nature reserve in Lady Bay, in Rushcliffe borough.
A full planning application was submitted by the City Council in February following lengthy delays, and city councillors unanimously supported the proposals at a meeting earlier this year in April.
Rushcliffe Borough Council then itself approved the plans in July.
Work was previously due to start this summer.
But a city council spokeswoman confirmed on Tuesday (August 20) while some initial works have started, including the finalising of land agreements and detailed ground surveys, actual work won’t begin until 2025.
Construction is now due early in the new year after senior councillors have given final approval for the scheme at an Executive Board in autumn.
“We will be announcing the latest on the scheme when we go to Executive Board this autumn, and we will provide latest information on costs and timelines when they are finalised,” the spokeswoman said.
“Work is happening now including land agreements, detailed ground surveys and discussions with those who will be impacted by the works, with a physical ground-breaking at the site expected in early 2025 following the expected Executive Board approval this autumn.”
The bridge is being paid for using money from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Transforming Cities Fund, after funding was secured back in 2020.
The council did not say what the final costs of the overall project were, however it was previously revealed they had risen from £9m to £12m due to inflation.
Alongside the new bridge, the pedestrian and cycle pathways are expected to be improved on the north side of the river.
The 87 metre bridge, which was increased in width to four metres following a public consultation, is expected to open at the end of 2025.
“We also know there is a demand for better walking and cycling routes on both Lady Bay Bridge and Trent Bridge,” the council added.
“These do still feature in future plans and will be assessed against other improvements needed across the city, however a new bridge will greatly enhance the walking and cycling network and can be built and used without disruption or loss of capacity for public transport and other motorised transport.”
