Sunderland £31m stadium footbridge plan takes step forward

The bridge would connect the former Vaux Brewery site on the south bank of the Wear to Sheepfolds on the north

Plans for a £31m foot and cycle bridge across the River Wear in Sunderland have taken a major step forward.

Sunderland Council has agreed to approve its preferred design for the bridge close to the Stadium of Light.

The bridge between the former Vaux Brewery site and Sheepfolds would open in 2023, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

It would enable safer travel for fans walking from Sunderland city centre to the stadium on match days.

The bridge is part of regeneration scheme for the banks of the Wear and the city centre, which also includes new homes, offices and a library.

'Dicing with death'

The council has approved a series of next steps which also include seeking and appointing a design and build contractor, acquiring land needed for the scheme and appointing consultants to assist in the delivery of the project.

The bridge would form a "vital movement artery" across the river according to councillor Rebecca Atkinson, cabinet member for Dynamic City.

"The bridge essentially binds the development areas within riverside together and will, alongside other infrastructure investments such as 5G, increase the pace of this transformational change leading to increased private sector activity and so achieving the Riverside Sunderland goal of 1,000 new homes and 10,000 new jobs.

"Many people who have gone to the match, myself included, have diced with death sometimes as one of the lanes is closed on the Wearmouth Bridge. 

"But this is more than a bridge, this is a statement of our intent, this is us moving forward, this is us growing our city centre."