Geldards supports opening of new Nottingham bridge over River Trent

Geldards was delighted to help mark the official opening of Nottingham’s new Waterside Bridge on 2^nd June.  The bridge which has been under construction for the past year is the first new bridge to be built in Nottingham for over sixty years. Designed with pedestrians and cyclists in mind, the bridge provides a safe connection for residents between Trent Basin and Lady Bay.

The flagship project was funded by the Transforming Cities Fund with the aim of improving connectivity across Nottingham. Geldards has been an integral partner throughout the life of the project, advising Nottingham City Council on a major £12.6m construction contract with Balfour Beatty for the construction of the bridge. Manufactured locally at Britons in Hucknall, the 175 tonne bridge was constructed using British steel and spans 87 metres across the River Trent.

Geldards were pleased to support the long-anticipated opening which saw an official ribbon cutting by Nottingham City Council Leader Councillor Neghat Khan and East Midlands Combined County Authority Mayor Claire Ward, who declared the bridge open. Local school children from either side of the bridge, Councillors and project partners were invited to cross the bridge for the first time to emphasise the link between communities. The opening was eagerly anticipated by sports fans who can now enjoy safe passage across the river on match days.

A free community family fun day to help celebrate the bridge opening is planned for Sunday 14^th June, with stalls, games and activities on both sides of the river bank. Residents can now look forward to better access to walking and cycling routes and green spaces such as Colwick Country Park and Home Pierrepont as they enjoy better connectivity across the city.

Commenting on the project Infrastructure & Construction partner Chris Hawrylak said:

“The new Waterside bridge has taken over seven years to plan and been in construction for a year, but it has been worth the wait.  Geldards is extremely proud to have played an important role in this historic moment for Nottingham. Working closely with stakeholders across the project, our full-service legal team finalised negotiations with Nottingham City Council to implement the construction contract with Balfour Beatty.

Geldards were delighted to support the official opening of the bridge, the benefits to the city are manifold, better access to sporting facilities, safe crossing between the communities in Sneinton and Lady Bay and easy access to green spaces.  What better way to celebrate this momentous occasion than bringing the community together to enjoy Nottingham’s newest landmark.”

Councillor Neghat Khan, Leader of Nottingham City Council, said:

“What a fantastic day for Nottingham and what a moment for our city. We are not simply opening a bridge, we are opening new connections, new opportunities and a new chapter for Nottingham.

Projects like this don’t happen overnight and they certainly don’t happen alone. As well as our lead delivery partner Balfour Beatty, a number of local partners, groups, other local councils including Rushcliffe and Nottinghamshire and of course the Department for Transport have been involved in this ambitious project to better connect our city – thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to get us here.”