Work on the new bridge had been due to start in spring 2012. However it was delayed while the West Sussex County Council and Osborne reviewed the commercial and technical details of the project.
Work is expected to take 45 weeks to complete, with the bridge opening to the public during the summer of 2013.
County council cabinet member for highways and transport Pieter Montyn said that the council has sent Osborne a letter of intent to formally award the contract for the construction phase, enabling Osborne to begin its mobilisation process.
Dr Tommy Chambers, managing director of Osborne's civil engineering team, said: “It was important to get all the details in place first, but we're very pleased to now get on with delivering the project. The new footbridge will be a great asset to Shoreham."
Funding for the project has come from the County Council and sustainable transport charity Sustrans, which received a US$78 million grant from the Big Lottery Fund to extend the National Cycle Network into towns and cities across the UK.
Peter Wanless, Chief Executive of Big Lottery Fund, said: “This looks set to be one of the most impressive and ambitious of the Sustrans projects, providing cyclists and pedestrians with a fantastic link between both parts of Shoreham over the estuary and encouraging people to make every day journeys on foot or by bike. I look forward to seeing the finished result.”
The new crossing replaces a bridge built in the 1920s.
