Dukes Meadows Footbridge

Last updated

Dukes Meadows Footbridge
Dukes Meadows Footbridge western side newly opened.jpg
Coordinates 51°28′23″N0°15′16″W / 51.473°N 0.2544°W / 51.473; -0.2544
CarriesPedestrian
Locale Chiswick, England
History
DesignerMoxon Architects
Location
Dukes Meadows Footbridge

Dukes Meadows Footbridge is a pedestrian bridge beside the River Thames in Chiswick in West London. Opened in 2023, it allows the Thames Path on the north bank at Dukes Meadows to follow the river without diversion.

Contents

The bridge was designed by Moxon Architects as a "half through" truss structure. The footway is of stainless steel and aluminium. Planning permission for the design was granted early in 2019. CampbellReith were the consulting engineers for the bridge's structural, geotechnical, environmental, and civil engineering, with marine engineering by Marmus, electrical engineering by Slender Winter Partnership, and environmental consultancy by Thomson. Construction was by Knights Brown.

Requirement

Barnes Railway Bridge in 2020, looking downstream from the south bank, forming a barrier to the Thames Path along the north bank (left). Duke's Hollow nature reserve is on the extreme left of the image. Barnes Bridge 20200529 130111 (49948367001) (cropped).jpg
Barnes Railway Bridge in 2020, looking downstream from the south bank, forming a barrier to the Thames Path along the north bank (left). Duke's Hollow nature reserve is on the extreme left of the image.

Before the bridge was constructed, people using the Thames Path on the north bank of the River Thames at Dukes Meadows, Chiswick were unable to cross the line of the railway near the river. Instead, it diverted some 300 metres northwestwards to the nearest tunnel under the railway embankment. It left the river to run parallel to the railway along The Promenade by the railway's eastern side, returning parallel to the railway on Dan Mason Drive by the railway's western side. [1]

The footbridge connects the Thames Path on either side of the railway, allowing the path to follow the river without diversion, and in the words of the London Borough of Hounslow's report Duke's Meadows Regeneration, "removing a frustrating dog-leg along the scenic walking and cycling route." [1] Because Barnes Railway Bridge is a Grade II listed historic structure, it could not be used as a support, so the footbridge was required to have its own independent support structures, with the footway passing below the northern span of the railway bridge. The bridge is to be open to pedestrians and to users of wheelchairs, mobility scooters and pushchairs. [2]

Design

The bridge was designed by Moxon Architects as a "half through" truss structure. The diagonal braces are angled to allow people on the bridge to see the river as much as possible while crossing. The part of the footway in line with the river is supported by two cylindrical piers in the riverbed, one upstream and one downstream of the existing railway bridge. The west and east approaches are supported between those piers and two end piers on the riverbank. The piers are cylinders of steel-reinforced concrete. The footway structure is of stainless steel and aluminium. [3] [4] Planning permission for the design was granted early in 2019, [5] with strong local support. [6]

CampbellReith served as consulting engineers for the bridge's structural, geotechnical, environmental, and civil engineering. Marine engineering was provided by Marmus, and electrical engineering by Slender Winter Partnership. [3] Environmental consultancy was by Thomson. [7]

Construction

Construction was by Knights Brown. [8] Project management and quantity surveying was by Currie & Brown. [3] The diagonals for the main span, originally designed as solid struts, are hollow, reducing material usage and lightening the structure. [9] The main span of the bridge was floated in at high tide on pontoons in July 2022; [10] it was designed to settle into position on its footings when the tide went down. [9] The bridge was completed in 2022, [2] and opened on 13 January 2023. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suspension bridge</span> Type of bridge

A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridges, which lack vertical suspenders, have a long history in many mountainous parts of the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiswick</span> Riverside district of London, England

Chiswick is a district in the London Borough of Hounslow, West London, England. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist William Hogarth; Chiswick House, a neo-Palladian villa regarded as one of the finest in England; and Fuller's Brewery, London's largest and oldest brewery. In a meander of the River Thames used for competitive and recreational rowing, with several rowing clubs on the river bank, the finishing post for the Boat Race is just downstream of Chiswick Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Hounslow</span> London borough in United Kingdom

The London Borough of Hounslow is a London borough in West London, England, forming part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 when three smaller borough councils amalgamated under the London Government Act 1963. It is governed by Hounslow London Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hammersmith Bridge</span> Suspension bridge in London, England

Hammersmith Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the River Thames in west London. It links the southern part of Hammersmith in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, on the north side of the river, and Barnes in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, on the south side of the river. The current bridge, which is Grade II* listed and was designed by civil engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette, is the second permanent bridge on the site, and has been attacked three times by Irish republicans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kew Bridge</span> Bridge in Kew

Kew Bridge is a wide-span bridge over the Tideway linking the London Boroughs of Richmond upon Thames and Hounslow. The present bridge, which was opened in 1903 as King Edward VII Bridge by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, was designed by John Wolfe-Barry and Cuthbert A Brereton. Historic England listed it at Grade II in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges</span> Bridges in London

The Hungerford Bridge crosses the River Thames in London, and lies between Waterloo Bridge and Westminster Bridge. Owned by Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd it is a steel truss railway bridge flanked by two more recent, cable-stayed, pedestrian bridges that share the railway bridge's foundation piers, and which are named the Golden Jubilee Bridges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richmond Lock and Footbridge</span> Lock and pedestrian bridges in London, England

Richmond Lock and Footbridge is a lock, rising and falling low-tide barrage integrating controlled sluices and pair of pedestrian bridges on the River Thames in southwest London, England, and is a Grade II* listed structure. It is the furthest downstream of the forty-five Thames locks and the only one owned and operated by the Port of London Authority. It was opened in 1894 and is north-west of the centre of Richmond in a semi-urban part of southwest London. Downstream are Syon Park and Kew Gardens on opposite banks. It connects the promenade at Richmond with the neighbouring district of St. Margarets on the west bank during the day and is closed at night to pedestrians – after 19:30 GMT or after 21:30 when BST is in use. At high tide the sluice gates are raised and partly hidden behind metal arches forming twin footbridges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading Bridge</span> Bridge in Reading

Reading Bridge is a road bridge over the River Thames at Reading in the English county of Berkshire. The bridge links the centre of Reading on the south bank with the Lower Caversham area of the cross-river suburb, and former village, of Caversham on the north bank. It crosses the river a short way above Caversham Lock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Footbridge</span> Bridge designed solely for pedestrians

A footbridge is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians. While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a height above the ground", a footbridge can also be a lower structure, such as a boardwalk, that enables pedestrians to cross wet, fragile, or marshy land. Bridges range from stepping stones–possibly the earliest man-made structure to "bridge" water–to elaborate steel structures. Another early bridge would have been simply a fallen tree. In some cases a footbridge can be both functional and artistic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnes railway station</span> National Rail station in London, England

Barnes railway station is a Grade II listed station in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, in southwest London, and is in Travelcard Zone 3. It is 7 miles 7 chains (11.4 km) down the line from London Waterloo. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South Western Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battersea Railway Bridge</span> Bridge across the River Thames in London

The Battersea Railway Bridge is a bridge across the River Thames in London, between Battersea and Fulham. Owned by Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd, it links Battersea to the extreme north-east part of Fulham, known as Chelsea Harbour or Imperial Wharf, a 21st-century-rebuilt area on the south side of Chelsea Creek. The bridge is used by the West London Line of the London Overground from Clapham Junction to Willesden Junction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Runcorn Railway Bridge</span> Bridge in northwest England

The Runcorn Railway Bridge, Ethelfleda Bridge or Britannia Bridge crosses the River Mersey at Runcorn Gap between Runcorn and Widnes in Cheshire, England. It is alongside the Silver Jubilee Bridge. The bridge is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a Grade II* Listed building.

Chiswick Bridge is a reinforced concrete deck arch bridge over the River Thames in West London. It is one of three bridges opened in 1933 as part of an ambitious scheme to relieve traffic congestion west of London. The structure carries the A316 road between Chiswick on the north bank of the Thames and Mortlake on the south bank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnes Railway Bridge</span> Bridge in London, England

Barnes Railway Bridge is a Grade II listed railway bridge in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and the London Borough of Hounslow. It crosses the River Thames in London in a northwest to southeast direction at Barnes. It carries the South Western Railway's Hounslow Loop Line, and lies between Barnes Bridge and Chiswick stations. It can also be crossed on foot, and is one of only three bridges in London to combine pedestrian and rail use; the others being Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges and Fulham Railway Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strand-on-the-Green</span> Riverside area in West London, England

Strand-on-the-Green is one of Chiswick's four medieval villages, and a "particularly picturesque" riverside area in West London. It is a conservation area, with many "imposing" listed buildings beside the River Thames; a local landmark, the Kew Railway Bridge that crosses the River Thames and the Strand, is itself Grade II listed. Oliver's Island is just offshore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Infinity Bridge</span> Footbridge over the River Tees, England

The Infinity Bridge is a public pedestrian and cycle footbridge across the River Tees in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees in northern England. The bridge is situated one kilometre downriver of Stockton town centre, between the Princess of Wales Bridge and the Tees Barrage. It connects the Teesdale Business Park and the University of Durham's Queen's Campus in Thornaby-on-Tees on the south bank of the Tees with the Tees Valley Regeneration's £320 million North Shore development on the north bank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dukes Meadows</span> Riverside park in Chiswick, London

Dukes Meadows is a riverside park in Chiswick, London. The land was bought by the council in 1923, and the park was opened in 1926. It is cared for by the Dukes Meadows Trust. The area is home to the Chiswick Farmers' Market, which helps to pay for the park's maintenance. From 2023 the Dukes Meadows Footbridge forms part of the Thames Path.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke's Hollow</span>

Duke's Hollow is a 0.27 hectare Local Nature Reserve and Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation in Chiswick in the London Borough of Hounslow. It is owned and managed by Hounslow Council.

The Cremorne Footbridge is a proposed foot and cycle bridge over the Thames in London, England. It was originally promoted as the Diamond Jubilee Footbridge, designed by One World Design Architects with structural engineers Expedition Engineering and maritime engineers Beckett Rankine. The longer name commemorates the 2012 jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II, marking where she boarded her royal barge for the start of the Diamond Jubilee river pageant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiswick Park Footbridge</span> Bridge in Chiswick, England

Chiswick Park Footbridge is a pedestrian bridge north of Gunnersbury Triangle Nature Reserve in Chiswick, London that connects Chiswick Business Park with Chiswick Park tube station.

References

  1. 1 2 "Duke's Meadows Regeneration: Pedestrian Footbridge". London Borough of Hounslow. February 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Contract in place for new footbridge on River Thames". Currie & Brown. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 "New footbridge by Moxon Architects to connect Thames Path at London's Dukes Meadows". British Stainless Steel Association. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  4. "Dukes Meadows Regeneration: Pedestrian Footbridge - Newsletter 8". Knights Brown. February 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  5. "Planning Committee approves design for 'iconic' promenade bridge". Chiswick W4. 13 February 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  6. "Dukes Meadows Masterplan" (PDF). London Borough of Hounslow. October 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  7. "Thomson's ecology work at Dukes Meadows, Chiswick". Thomson Environmental Consultants. 19 July 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  8. "Dukes Meadows Regeneration: Pedestrian footbridge". Knights Brown and London Borough of Hounslow. 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  9. 1 2 Hakimian, Rob (15 November 2021). "How cost and carbon footprint were cut on new Thames Path bridge". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  10. "Dukes Meadows Footbridge Held Up at Tilbury Docks". Chiswick W4. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  11. "Dukes Meadows Footbridge Officially Opened: Ceremony held to finally provide access to walkway". Chiswick W4. Retrieved 14 January 2023.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Dukes Meadows Footbridge at Wikimedia Commons