Budget for new river bridge increases by £2m

A project for a new walking and cycling footbridge across a river is predicted to cost £2m more than planners originally thought.

Cygnet Bridge, which would link Peterborough's Embankment and Fletton Quays, was approved by the city council on 23 December.

The construction would give pedestrians and cyclists a quieter route across the River Nene but is now expected to cost £8.3m.

A report being presented to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) on Monday said the extra costs came from changes to the design and necessary sewer diversions.

As a result the CPCA, which is currently contributing £3.4m to the bridge, has been asked to increase its share to £5.4m.

The report blamed the additional costs on "complexities and scope changes" to do with the design, as well as "significantly higher costs for required sewer diversions" than initially projected.

Material costs alone were predicted to be £470,000 higher than originally predicted in 2022, when the CPCA approved its funding.

The project has secured £1.94m in Towns Fund investment from the government, with the council contributing just under £1m, and the CPCA paying for the rest.

The CPCA said the project demonstrated "substantial economic and social value" despite the added costs and would be a "critical infrastructure investment for Peterborough".

It is hoped the bridge would give pedestrians and cyclists a route across the river away from main roads.

It would link the south of the city and Fletton Quays area to the new university campus, ARU Peterborough.

The council is working to redevelop Fletton Quays, with a buyer found for a disused Victorian railway goods shed, which plans to turn it into a food and drinks hall.

The authority has also agreed to sell the unfinished Hilton Garden Inn, which has been under construction for seven years, in the hopes of clawing back its investment in the project.

Construction of the bridge is due to start in the summer and go on until spring or summer next year.

Nick Thulbourn, the council's cabinet member for growth and regeneration, said: "If the additional funding request is approved, it will be a critical step towards realising our future vision for Fletton Quays.

"The bridge will serve as a cornerstone of the area's development, providing essential infrastructure to better connect people."

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