Ramboll Whitbybird - Riverside Bridge opens

Riverside Bridge, which has just been officially opened
in Cambridge, is the result of a creative integration of architecture, engineering and art. Our multi-disciplinary bridge team enlisted the sculptural skills of artist Gerry Judah to win the design competition held by Cambridgeshire County Council in 2004.

This is the first bridge across the River Cam since the Elizabeth Way bridge opened in 1971, and it has created a new route connecting the Chesterton and Abbey areas in Cambridge, some 1500m due east of the city centre.

Structurally, its elegant arch offers an efficient solution — neatly balancing on the riverbanks the arch dynamically rises through the main deck, physically dividing the deck in two, providing a cycleway rising on the highpoint while the pedestrian route levels out. This purposefully-designed tiered effect provides an excellent vantage point for rowing events.

On the main span the segregation between pedestrians and cyclists is further suggested by a change of material in the deck surface. The pedestrian path is formed in lightweight perforated aluminium planks supported on cantilevered steel arms. The cycleway is a resin-bonded gravel surface on a structural steel box deck.

With a total bridge length of 200 metres, the bridge also crosses a flood plain on the Chesterton side. Designs for two rest pods situated along the parkside Chesterton ramp were developed with artist Gerry Judah. The two concrete fluted pods connect to the access ramp and provide points of interest along the route, with seating at the base of each pod.

All of the main materials used in the construction of the bridge are recyclable, and are selected for long life and low maintenance.

Des Mairs, Ramboll Whitbybird director in charge of the project, commented: "Cambridgeshire County Council's enthusiasm for this project has been the key factor in successfully delivering the bridge."

Project Manager for Cambridgeshire County Council, Mike Davies, says, "The new bridge will bring major long term benefits for pedestrians and cyclists in the area and will help to build fantastic links between the communities in the East Chesterton and Abbey areas of Cambridge."

"As well as this, we really believe that the striking modern design of the bridge gets the right balance of respecting the existing surroundings while providing a high quality, innovative and attractive structure."

The project was led by contractors Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering, with Watson Steel Structures as fabricator and WS Atkins as client agent.