New city bridge will now not open until 2026

A new pedestrian and cycle bridge over the River Trent will now not open until spring 2026, Nottingham City Council has said.

The 85m-long bridge, linking the Trent Basin area in Nottingham with Lady Bay in Rushcliffe, is set to become the first new river crossing built in the city in more than 65 years.

It was originally due to be completed by spring 2023, but the project has faced repeated delays.

A new report also said it could cost up to £18m - nearly double the original £9.275m budget.

The project is being paid for by the government's Transforming Cities Fund, but council documents said funding was still to be confirmed by the Department for Transport.

The council said it hoped to get confirmation of funding before the end of the year.

It added factors outside of its control, such as the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine and high inflation, were partly to blame for the increased costs.

The authority intends to appoint Balfour Beatty as contractors and said a provisional price was given in May 2024.

Documents say the contractor will submit a final price in December, and the council will only enter into contracts once "an affordable fixed price" is obtained, within a maximum budget of £18m.

Planning permission was granted by Rushcliffe Borough Council in July, with construction due to begin in the summer, but work is now not due to start until next year.

Steel sections will be fabricated off-site and brought to land on the north bank of the Trent for construction.

The bridge is then due to be lifted into place in November 2025, with the remaining steps, ramps and public realm areas due to be completed by spring 2026.

However, the council said the bridge lift could be subject to disruption by poor weather conditions, so a "suitable period of river closure" will need to be secured from the Canal & River Trust.

Council leader Neghat Khan said the bridge would create "a vital link between developing new communities", and open up "new safer commuter and leisure routes".

She added it would be a "huge boost to cyclists, pedestrians and runners as well as everyone in our city through improving air quality and congestion".

Senior councillors are due to approve the finalised project at a meeting on 22 October.

The full cost of maintenance will have to be met by the city council, after Nottinghamshire County Council said in 2022 that it would not make any contributions.

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