A bridge is being built to connect pedestrians and cyclists in the Lady Bay area south of the river with the Trent Basin waterside housing estate on the north side of the river, close to Nottingham city centre.

It will be the first new crossing of the Trent in the city for 65 years.

The project follows £9m in government funding from the Transforming Cities programme.

Balfour Beatty has been appointed as principal contractor; Pick Everard – operating as part of the Perfect Circle’s collaboration – has been appointed as project management and quantity surveyor. Both were engaged through Scape contract frameworks.

Pick Everard director Matt Hall said: “The formal appointment of our consultancy team and Balfour Beatty as principal contractor is a significant milestone for Nottingham City Council. This is a flagship project for the city and the available social and transport benefits available must be presented in a clear way as stakeholder engagement continues.”

Ahead of a planning application being submitted by the summer, feasibility studies have already been completed alongside work to pinpoint a precise location for the proposed structure.

Nottingham City Council is working with the county council and Rushcliffe Borough Council, which is on the south side of the river.

Nottingham city councillor Audra Wynter, portfolio holder for highways, transport and parks, said: “It’s great to see that we’ve now appointed the project team of Pick Everard and Balfour Beatty to deliver the first new crossing over the River Trent in 65 years.”

Rushcliffe Borough Council leader Simon Robinson said: “The bridge will create further links between Rushcliffe and the city, providing the opportunity for improved access, and a sustainable alternative to dependency on car use, to employment and recreational opportunities on both sides of the river. Subject to an independent planning process for its construction on the Rushcliffe banks of the Trent, we are pleased to hear partners have been appointed and we are supportive of its creation.”

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