No construction timeline set for new £8.3m bridge

Construction was due to start this summer and be completed by spring or summer 2026

The construction timeline of an £8.3m bridge has yet to be secured as final designs await approval by council officers.

Cygnet Bridge, which will link Fletton Quays to the Embankment in Peterborough, was approved by Peterborough City Council on 23 December.

The project was initially expected to cost £6.3m, but will cost £2m more due to changes to the design and necessary sewage diversions.

"Our officers are meeting with representatives from M Group to discuss Cygnet Bridge," said Nick Thulbourn, the council's Labour cabinet member for growth and regeneration.

"As part of this they will be signing off the construction design, to allow for a detailed update on the build timeline."

Walkable city

Thulbourn confirmed that the next stage of the project would see sewer diversion works take place, with the aim to start construction in September.

People living in the city raised concerns over the cost and need for the bridge earlier this year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Peterborough City Council hopes the new bridge will assist in creating a "walkable, liveable city" and reduce pressure on city centre traffic routes.

The project is being funded in part by contributions from both the city council and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA).

An extra £2m provided by the CPCA was deemed necessary for the project due to complex design modifications and higher costs for required sewer diversions than initially projected.

The government's Towns Fund pledged £2m towards the bridge, while the CPCA will now contribute £5.4m and the remainder will be paid for by Peterborough City Council's redevelopment budget.