Active travel project of the year

This award recognises a new build or major refurbishment of a UK bridge used by pedestrians, as part of a cycle route or as a bridleway in the last year.

Arup, Grimshaw, Alun Griffiths, Cass Hayward and Newport City Council
Newport Active Travel Bridge  

Designed to sensitively integrate with a complex urban context, the unique pedestrian and cycle bridge forms a vital crossing over the Great Western Mainline Railway in Newport City, encourages active travel and provides much improved connectivity for local communities. Despite numerous site constraints and construction challenges, the 230m long structure achieves visual coherence through the clarity of design concept, structure and detailing. The pair of dark grey steel-plated structures and the lightweight ramp are unified by a continuous ribbon of bright orange flooring, giving the bridge a bold and unique identity.

BakerHicks and Balfour Beatty
Tynybryn Active Travel Bridge  

Tynybryn bridge is one of the first Active Travel Bridges in South Wales to use a light-weight fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) deck solution with a localised ground improvement system of injected geopolymers to improve the ground bearing. Using the geopolymer injection as a pre-construction activity rather than a post remedial solution has not been used like this before, especially for accommodating a fast flowing river in a highly constrained site. The project realised savings in programme (6 weeks), costs (up to £113,000), and whole life embodied carbon (15% saving) helping to reduce reliance on traditional materials and resources.

Beaver Bridges
Henley Gate

Beaver Bridges Active Travel bridge installed at Henley Gate Garden Suburb connected a new community with the thriving town of Ipswich, spanning a live railway line, involving an exacting design, build and installation programme. Beaver Bridges were contracted to provide a Concept to Completion project, managing all stakeholders and sub-contractors to install the bridge in a 56-hour window over Christmas 2022, completing in 2023. This Next Generation of Bridge Solutions sets Beaver Bridges apart from competition in being able to take risks away from the client, reduce cost and programme timing, whilst mitigating environmental impact and providing

Cake Engineering and Beam Architects
Bracklinn Falls Footbridge  

The creation of this pedestrian footbridge re-established a 5km circular walking trail in the remote, popular visitor destination of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, UK. The highly efficient, lightweight structure bridge boasts a resilient, low maintenance, technical solution to withstand the harsh rural conditions that resulted in the destruction of the previous crossing. Despite the challenges posed by the remote site that limited the size and weight of individual components, the attractive and efficient bridge blends successfully into its picturesque surroundings.

Keltbray and Waterman Group
Market Gate Bridge  

Keltbray and Waterman Group transformed Barnsley's skyline with their construction of Market Gate Footbridge. This iconic cable-stayed structure showcases innovative engineering, supporting active travel and zero-carbon initiatives. It acts as a catalyst for Barnsley's regeneration, connecting residents to employment and education opportunities. The bridge ensures safety for pedestrians and cyclists, replacing a level crossing and enhancing the town's public realm. Several innovative approaches were used, including dividing the structure for transport and using bespoke temporary works, minimising disruption to the community. Complex construction, such as tandem crane lifts, was executed flawlessly, prioritising team well-being and ensuring a lasting legacy for Barnsley's future success.

Mace and Costain
Chiverton Bridge

The Chiverton Walking, Cycling and Horse-riding bridge is a new landmark for active travel in Cornwall. Financed by the European Regional Development Fund and positioned in the Cornish Mining World Heritage site, the bridge has been designed with sustainability at its heart while providing a safe route across the upgraded A30 dual carriageway. Delivered by Cornwall Council and a team comprising Mace, Wardle Williams Associates, and Costain, the bridge is a collaboration between local and national stakeholders, providing a crucial link for the Saint's Trails, which provides 13 km of off-road and on-road trails linking St Agnes to Truro.

Milestone Infrastructure
Longthorpe Footbridge - Delivering Active Travel Infrastructure for Peterborough

Milestone Infrastructure worked collaboratively on behalf of Peterborough City Council to deliver the business case, design, and construction of a new footbridge over 5 lanes of the A1260 dual carriageway. The new bridge, compliant to LTN1/20, provides a significantly improved crossing over the A1260 for pedestrians and cyclists, supporting and encouraging Active Travel in the area. Through careful planning and coordination of the works the project was delivered under budget and ahead of programme and the existing footbridge was able to remain open throughout the majority of the works, minimising disruption to existing Active Travel in the area.

Systra
Replacement of Existing Bridges on the Formartine and Buchan Way 

The Formartine and Buchan Way extends over 53 miles from Dyce to Fraserburgh and is recognised as one of ‘Scotland’s Great Trails’, linking many small communities throughout the North-East of Scotland. To bring this route up to the required standard, Nestrans and Aberdeenshire Council planned a programme of improvements, replacing 42 existing steel half-through bridges with footbridges. Through close collaboration with the Client, SYSTRA was able to identify and address the key drivers for this scheme whilst providing the flexibility required that allowed the route enhancements to be made whenever funding was made available.