Castle Street footbridge will finally be open next month

£12M CROSSING HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR ALMOST A YEAR

THE latest addition to Hull city centre’s skyline is finally expected to open for use by the public next month.

The new £12m footbridge spanning Castle Street has been in place since it was gently lifted into position almost a year ago, in November 2019.

At the time, it was hoped the crossing over Hull’s busiest road between Princes Quay and the Marina would be open to pedestrians and cyclists in the following Spring.

However, progress on the access ramps and landscaping on either side of the A63 was then delayed with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Although work on site continued during lockdown, the arrival of some building materials sourced from China was put back.

Now city councillors have been told the bridge, now officially named Murdoch’s Connection after pioneering Hull GP Mary Murdoch, is due to open next month.

The finishing touches to paving works under the bridge are currently being applied by contractors.

Speaking at a Riverside area committee meeting, city councillor Adam Williams said delays in the delivery of the bridge were disappointing, but inevitable because of the impact of the virus.

He said: “It’s something we’ve seen time and time again as the country battles with the pandemic.

“While no one can doubt that the coronavirus has slowed the process, if the Government had just got on with building the bridge before the pandemic hit it wouldn’t have had to be like this.”

The bridge is 60 metres long and weighs 150 tonnes.

It features a curving steel canopy and will have sheltered viewing balconies at each end giving people views across the city centre and the waterfront.

The new landscaped areas include a new extended tiered seating area overlooking Hull Marina.