| Saint Alkmunds Way Footbridge | |
|---|---|
| Carries | Pedestrians & Cycles |
| Crosses | Saint Alkmunds Way (A601) |
| Maintained by | Derby City Council |
| Designer | Dennis O’Connor |
| Total length | 37 Metres |
| Width | 5 Metres |
| Height | 30 Metres |
| Opened | October 2007 |
| Toll | Free |
| Daily traffic | 1,500 (2009 estimates) |
Saint Almund's Way Footbridge is a replacement cycle and footbridge in Derby, England over the A601 (St. Alkmund's Way). The 2007 design includes sculptures of silk bobbins at its entrance and exit that are inspired by the nearby Silk Mill museum.
In 2007 Derby City Council and Derby Cityscape commissioned public art specialist Dennis O’Connor to design a footbridge, over St Alkmund’s Way to link the city centre with St Mary’s Church.[1] It is one of Derby’s most-seen pieces of public art, viewed by an estimated 1,500 pedestrians and 70,000 motorists every day.[1]
Funding came from Derby City Council, the Department for Transport and the Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership.[1] The final cost was £1.3 million,[2] and the council's contribution was part of a £2 million overspend on highways in 2007.[3]
Derby Councillor Chris Wynn, cabinet member for planning and highways, said "The design with the bobbins and billowing silk idea will tie in well with the Silk Mill and I think this will be very exciting when it comes to fruition."[4] It was decided in 2009 to close the Silk Mill museum for an unspecified period.[5]
The bridge took just fourteen weeks to construct, although a shortage of steel meant that some of the design features and the lighting were not installed when it was nominally complete in October 2007.[2] The new bridge is wider than its predecessor and is designed to take both cycle and pedestrian traffic.[6]
The early start was possible because the council had given the go-ahead to purchase steel before funding was confirmed in March 2007.[4]
The bridge is in keeping with the design of the nearby Cathedral Green Footbridge, with its iconic needle-shaped mast,[7] as they both draw inspiration from the Silk Mill and use its heritage as inspiration.