New Sunderland 'smart bridge' would stop SAFC fans 'dicing with death' on match days, says chief

Multi-million pound plans for a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the River Wear have taken a step forward, following a decision by city leaders.
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Featuring augmented reality, the high-level crossing would allow people to use their smartphones to see virtual displays and would also boast creative lighting appearing as a ‘shard of light’ at night.

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Earlier this week, Sunderland City Council bosses agreed the next steps for the project to allow planning for construction to start ‘as soon as possible.’

A CGI of how the new bridge could lookA CGI of how the new bridge could look
A CGI of how the new bridge could look

This included approving the ‘preferred reference design’, seeking and appointing a design and build contractor, acquiring land needed for the scheme and appointing consultants, as required, to assist in the delivery of the project.

“The way people move around any urban landscape is an experience [that] fundamentally shapes and defines that space which is why this proposed bridge forms the vital movement artery between the city centre, Riverside Sunderland and the Stadium of Light,” said councillor Rebecca Atkinson, cabinet member for Dynamic City.

“The bridge essentially binds the development areas within riverside together and will, alongside other infrastructure investments such as 5G, increase the pace of this transformational change leading to increased private sector activity and so achieving the Riverside Sunderland goal of 1,000 new homes and 10,000 new jobs.”

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Cllr Atkinson was updating councillors on the bridge scheme at a cabinet meeting on December 8, which was held via videolink and broadcast on YouTube.

The project – which was warmly welcomed by Sunderland AFC players past and present when plans were revealed – would extend from the Keel Line connecting to the banks of the Wear in the shadow of the Stadium of Light.

Set to open in the first half of 2023, the crossing includes a high parapet and balustrades for safety and would stand at a height that ensures that river-use would not be restricted.

According to a report prepared for the cabinet, the estimated cost of delivering the project is around £31million.

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City leaders also agreed to bring a further report to cabinet if compulsory purchase order powers are needed to deliver the scheme.

Councillor Kevin Johnston, deputy cabinet member for Dynamic City, said it was “fantastic” to see the project progressing.

“It will certainly add to the match-day experience for home and visiting supporters to the city as well as the connectivity for jobs and the new homes on the Sheepfolds,” he said.

Councillor Graeme Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council, went on to say: “It’s a very exciting project and the linchpin of everything that we’re doing around the Riverside Sunderland Masterplan in my opinion.”

The bridge is one of a number of major developments in the Riverside Sunderland Masterplan – from new homes, offices and state-of-the-art library and community hub ‘The Culture House’, to the upgrading of St Mary’s Boulevard into a new main street and transforming Galley’s Gill into a landscape park.

The bridge is also expected to be in place in time for Sunderland’s month-long Future Living Expo, a high-profile event which will showcase life in the new urban quarter.

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Cllr Atkinson added: “This council is committed to our residents and I think projects like this, which could be grand plans on paper for a lot of other cities, are our reality.

“Many people who have gone to the match, myself included, have diced with death sometimes as one of the lanes is closed on the Wearmouth Bridge.

“But this is more than a bridge, this is a statement of our intent, this is us moving forward, this is us growing our city centre.”

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