At nearly 30 metres long and 6m high, the steel and concrete bridge weighs almost 200 tonnes in total – equivalent to 15 double-decker buses – and forms an impressive new gateway to the city above one of Brighton’s busiest transport arteries.
It was installed over the weekend by a team of engineers working round-the-clock from late on Friday night through to the early hours of Monday morning. Crowds took advantage of closed roads to gather and watch as two giant steel beams spanning the full width of Lewes Road were winched carefully into place, followed by six giant interlinked panels which together form the bridge deck.
One of those was local resident Rikki Suter, who has lived in the area for 27 years. She said: “The transformation of this part of the city over the last couple of years has been absolutely amazing but the new footbridge really is the icing on the cake! It was so exciting to watch it being lifted into place and it fits so well alongside the new buildings. I can’t wait for it to open.”
The bridge is due to open to the public in the spring, allowing time to surface the bridge deck, install the lift and utilities including CCTV, lighting and drainage. It will be topped off with striking cladding and architectural steel fins.
Professor Debra Humphris, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Brighton, said: “The Big Build has already transformed our Moulsecoomb campus and breathed new life into this part of the city. The addition of this stunning bridge will has created a truly iconic gateway to the city that benefits our whole community. I look forward to its opening in a few months and hope many of our neighbours as well as our staff and students will make use of it.
“I’m incredibly grateful for all the planning and hard work that has made this happen, not just from colleagues at the university but also Brighton & Hove City Council, our partners at U+I, our architects Hassell’s and the engineers at Beaver Bridges who built and installed this incredible structure. Above all, I want to say thank you to our neighbours who have shown so much patience and understanding during the whole period of the Big Build.”
Richard Upton, Chief Executive Officer of U+I, said: “The Lewes Road bridge is an important part of the transformation of this area of the city, where we are creating affordable new homes, shops and job opportunities and it is exciting to see it up and in place, helping to link local communities.”
Henry Beaver, CEO of the bridge constructors Beaver Bridges, said: “Beaver Bridges are delighted to have been involved in this prestigious project. Although technically very demanding with unique aesthetics and structure, the end result has been a resounding success. This bridge project has involved all aspects of the Beaver Bridges team from design, factory, logistics and site – we are collectively delighted with the outcome.”
Council leader Phélim Mac Cafferty said: “I’d like to congratulate the University of Brighton on the stylish and brilliant new footbridge - the first bridge constructed in decades in Brighton & Hove. It’s affirmation of their ongoing commitment to improving the built environment of the city with their new campus buildings.
“Beaver Bridges, which is a company of specialists in the design and construction of bridges, and the developer of the scheme U&I, have played key roles in improving this part of the city.
“Of course the bridge has a very practical function too, providing a safe way for both the academic and local communities to cross Lewes Road. I look forward to the moment I get to walk across it for the first time too.”