A 40m bridge built as part of the flagship Chisholm Trail walking and cycling route in Cambridge has been nominated for a prestigious award.
The Abbey-Chesterton Bridge has been named on the shortlist for the Structural Steel Design Awards, a national competition which celebrates excellence through criteria such as cost effectiveness, aesthetics and innovation.
The 40 metre bridge was lifted into place over the River Cam in November 2020 during construction of phase one of the Chisholm Trail – a joint project between the Greater Cambridge Partnership and Cambridgeshire County Council.
The first phase of the trail was opened to the public in December 2021 and has proved to be transformative. Connecting Cambridge North station and the surrounding area to Coldham’s Lane and onwards, the route proceeds via the bridge, the new Newmarket Road underpass and a new, separate, car free path.
Once the entire trail is complete, it will create a 26km mostly off-road and traffic-free route from Cambridge North to Cambridge Station via the city centre with links, including to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in the south and to the business and science parks in the north.
The architect of the bridge was Knight Architects, while the structural engineer was Milestone Infrastructure.
There are 21 shortlisted projects for the awards, with the winners to be announced at an evening reception in London on 29 September.
Cllr Alex Beckett, chair of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Highways and Transport Committee, said: “The Abbey-Chesterton Bridge, which forms a key part of the Chisholm Trail, is a great example of how we have been able to deliver on a major infrastructure project which will benefit our residents by offering more opportunities to walk and cycle.
“I would like to congratulate everyone involved in the project for the nomination and fingers crossed for the ceremony in September!”
For more information on the awards, visit: https://www.steelconstruction.info/Structural_steel_design_awards.
Cllr Elisa Meschini, chair of the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s Executive Board, and deputy leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “The landmark Abbey Chesterton Bridge and Chisholm Trail has improved journeys for hundreds of people every day - providing faster, safer and better active journeys over the River Cam.
“It is an excellent example of the GCP and county council working in partnership with the community and our contractors to deliver a truly transformative project which I’m pleased has been recognised.”
