Sunderland City Council in the north east of England has finally revealed the winning design in its River Wear Crossing competition - three years after the design was chosen. The winning concept - by architect Spence Associates and structural engineer Techniker - was selected by the competition jury in 2005, but the council refused to make the details public.
The structure has two asymmetrical, curved 'bull horns' which are intended to act as towers supporting the cable-stayed deck. The competition sought the best conceptual approach for an 'original, unique, inspirational and iconic structure'. The bridge is intended to form part of the wider Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor and act as an important gateway to the city centre, lead to urban regeneration and 'serve as a symbol of Sunderland moving forward in the 21st century'. At the time of the competition, the council set a budget of approximately US$76 million.
But the council now says it has not made a final decision on the project, and intends to put three designs on display for a public consultation procedure. At the end of last month, the government confirmed its support for the crossing and agreed to contribute some funding towards the cost.
The final choice of bridge will depend on the findings of the consultations, says the council, taking account of affordability and the best use of available resources.
