Construction work is starting today (13 January) on a new £2.5 million bridge between King Street and Riverside.
The project is planned to connect Riverside with the city centre, as well as catalysing the development of other brownfield sites in King Street.
Councillor Brian Morrey, executive member for sustainable city development, said: “It is great to see construction work beginning on this bridge, which is a priority for the city council and will make a real difference to King Street.
“On behalf of everyone who has worked on this project, I would like to thank the businesses on Riverside, EEDA, X-Leisure, and City Living.”
The funding from the bridge is made up of £730,000 from the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), £1.7 million secured by Norwich City Council through section 106 developer contributions from the Riverside scheme, and a grant of £70,000 from the Greater Norwich Development Partnership (GNDP).
Kaz Hendry, project manager at EEDA, said: "EEDA’s £730,000 enables this new bridge which will allow Riverside to become a fully integrated part of the Norwich city centre business, leisure and retail offer. This is pivotal in unlocking a wide expanse of brownfield land for the delivery of a potential £100 million development of this area.
"This is a prime example of EEDA, along with co-ordinated regional partners, looking beyond the current conditions, using its track record of levering in further investment into an area and providing the catalyst for wide-scale regeneration despite the economic downturn."
St Anne’s Wharf developer City Living has agreed to allow a link to the bridge through the site.
Work will start on the east side of the river with piling works, followed by construction of the east ramp.
Construction on the west side of the river will start in February, followed by construction of a pedestrian link to King Street.
The bridge will be erected in May or June, followed by the installation of mechanical and electrical equipment. Completion and opening of the bridge is planned for August.
Overall responsibility for the delivery of the project lies with the city council, which holds the legal obligation to deliver the bridge. The council has put an agreement in place with Norfolk County Council, who have an established contract with May Gurney, to allow them to construct the project.