Danaher & Walsh, appointed by Leicester City Council through the Maintenance of Highway Structures term contract, undertook the design and construction of a new footbridge and highway works on Abbey Park Road in Leicester.

Project Overview

Leicester City Council appointed Danaher & Walsh through the Maintenance of Highway Structures term contract. The scheme included a new Abbey Park Road footbridge, plus highway and public realm works across the wider area.

Building the Abbey Park Road Footbridge

The new steel bridge crosses the River Soar. It spans 50 metres and measures 3.5 metres wide, giving cyclists and pedestrians a safe, dedicated route into the city.

The bridge runs parallel to Abbey Corner Bridge, a Grade II listed structure that is 150 years old. This older bridge is too narrow to carry traffic, cyclists and pedestrians together.

The design uses a steel Vierendeel truss. The deck follows a gentle curve, which takes up the half-metre change in level between each end of the bridge.

Danaher & Walsh built the superstructure off-site, in four separate sections. Teams then transported each section to site and assembled them on top of the existing Abbey Corner Bridge. A mobile crane lifted the completed structure into its final position.

Alongside the new footbridge, Danaher & Walsh carried out two further schemes on Abbey Park Road. One covered essential repairs to Abbey Corner Bridge. The other delivered highway and public realm improvements along the full length of the road.

Outcomes

The new Abbey Park Road footbridge gives pedestrians and cyclists a safe, direct crossing over the River Soar, away from heavy traffic.

Local people, cyclists and public transport users now enjoy a safer, more pleasant route through the area. Traffic continues to flow smoothly along Abbey Park Road, while people on foot or by bike benefit from their own dedicated crossing.

Together, the bridge and highway works create a better gateway into Abbey Park. The improvements support more walking and cycling, and add lasting value for the local community.