New £5 million Peterborough footbridge lifted into place over A47

A new footbridge was lifted into place over the A47 at the weekend.

Work on the new £5 million bridge at Longthorpe has been ongoing for several months, but vital beams were put in place at the weekend.

The new structure will maintain safety for vehicles travelling underneath the bridge, as well as pedestrians and cyclists using the footway to cross the A47.

Christopher Eglinton, National Highways Project Manager, said: “This new footbridge over the A47 at Longthorpe will help improve accessibility for local residents making it easier to get to schools, hospitals, sports fields, shops and homes without using a car. It is a key part of the improvements we are making along the A47 to help make the region a better place to live, visit and do business in."

The works meant a full closure of the A47 over the weekend – and another closure is planned later in the month.

The road will be shut in both directions between 8pm and 6am between Thursday 15 September and Monday 19 September.

A further full weekend closure will be required in January to allow workers to demolish the old footbridge.

It is expected the new bridge will be fully opened in November.

The new footbridge is:

30 metres in length, similar to the previous bridge

3.5 metres wide

Has access ramps either side of the bridge, with a gradient of no more than 1/20 or 5% to improve accessibility.

Has 5.8 metre head room between bridge and road to ensure compliance with latest road standards.