A council in the northwest of England has unveiled a design for a bridge to replace a historic structure.
The old Tram Road Bridge over the river Ribble has been closed since 2019 when it was deemed unsafe. Following pressure from the community, led by The Friends of the Old Tramroad Bridge, to reopen the footway by 2025, Preston Council has revealed the chosen design.
The proposed new Tram Bridge in Preston, Lancashire. Credit: Preston Council
The new Tram Bridge project will be delivered by Lancashire Council with Eric Wright Civil Engineering. Preston architects Studio John Bridge are working as consultants on the project, as are Jacobs, Bowland Ecology, Smith and Love Consultants, Harris Engineering and DYSE Structural Engineers. The bridge’s US$8.4 million cost is funded by the UK government and by Lancashire County Council.
The crossing, in the form of a timber trestle bridge dating from 1804, was originally part of the Lancaster Canal Tramroad, an early form of railway which saw horses drawing wagons along a plateway. The timber bridge was subsequently replaced with the concrete bridge.
