Scarborough Bridge awarded Certificate of Excellence

York’s new Scarborough Bridge has been awarded a Certificate of Excellence at the ICE Yorkshire & Humber Civil Engineering Awards.

The annual awards, held by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), showcase the collective and individual achievements of civil engineers and civil engineering.  Awards are made for civil engineering projects with a regional dimension in recognition of achievement, excellence or innovation in civil engineering.

The new 65 metre long, 3.7 metre wide bridge was completed last year and gives a nod to York’s Viking heritage with the bridge’s ‘ribs’ in the style of a Viking longship. The distinct colour complements the adjacent railway bridge, which is constructed of the same ‘weathering steel’ which gives it its distinct colour.

Since completion in summer 2019, the new bridge has seen an increase in both pedestrians and cyclists using the bridge daily. With over a third more pedestrians using the crossing daily and between 30 and 40% more cyclists based on monthly figures, compared with the previous bridge.

Deputy leader of the council and executive member for transport, Cllr Andy D’Agorne, said: “It’s great to see the new, upgraded Scarborough Bridge has been recognised for its fantastic design, ensuring it is now accessible for everyone.

“It is even better though to see hundreds more residents and visitors making advantage daily of this step-free, car-free route through our city.”

Cllr Manisha Kaushik, Deputy Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee said: “We’re delighted that the new Scarborough Bridge has been recognised by the Institution of Civil Engineers. We know encouraging more of us to travel by bike or on foot not only boosts people’s health and saves individual’s money, it also brings wider environmental and economic benefits, which is why we want to make cycling and walking a natural choice for short, everyday journeys.”

It’s fantastic to see that the new fully accessible bridge is already being used for more and more trips each day, and is a great example of how the partnership can deliver real benefits for people within the region.”

David Dickson, chair of YNYER LEP’s Infrastructure and Joint Assets Board said: “The LEP secured £1.5m from the Government’s Local Growth Fund to contribute towards the project, as it presented such a great opportunity to enhance a key access route. We’re pleased to see the bridge being so well-used, and recognised for its innovative design.”

The £4.4m project, led by City of York Council and supported by Network Rail, designers AECOM, and contractors AMCO Giffin, was completed last year and replaced the previous narrow footbridge over the river Ouse near to York Station with a shared use cycle and foot bridge, almost three times as wide, featuring new ramps and steps.

It has meant that this river crossing has been able to remain in use even when river levels have been high as evidenced last month. The new river crossing has useable even when river levels were high over the last month. The previous footbridge would have been inaccessible for most of February.

Factors taken into account in securing the ICE award included value and impact on society, sustainability, health safety and welfare, quality of design, innovation and best practice, difficulty and response, collaboration and excellence in delivery.

The new accessible bridge has been delivered in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority through its £60m CityConnect programme aimed at encouraging more people to cycle and walk; City of York Council; and York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership (YNYER EP).