Halcrow was the lead designer and consultant on a new pedestrian and cycle bridge over the Regents Canal in the bustling heart of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
The scheme formed part of a wider regeneration initiative for the Mile End area. Located between Meath Gardens and Mile End Park, the 58m long, three-span steel footbridge provides a vital link between communities on either side of the water and creates a fully integrated, traffic-free transport network.
Yet designing and installing the bridge formed just one element of the overall project. Split into three distinct phases, the first element saw the Halcrow team engage in a substantial feasibility study. This involved a consultation with key stakeholders through a questionnaire-based approach which sought to identify both required and desirable design features, a consultation workshop for professional bodies and a public exhibition to help the borough pick a design.
Once an option was chosen, Halcrow undertook an outline design of the chosen route and prepared all supporting documents for the planning application.
The next step saw the team liaise with principal contractor, Geoffrey Osborne Ltd, to prepare a maintenance cost-schedule for the council’s consideration. They also engaged with all the various project teams to prepare a project risk register.
This led to the identification and organisation of advance site investigations. A detailed design of the scheme then followed - to ensure client acceptance of developing principles into details - followed by the preparation of technical specifications for the construction phase.
Halcrow then provided vital design support during the six month construction period working in close harmony with Osborne to promptly resolve any emerging technical issues to minimise impact to the project’s successful and speedy conclusion.
Mei Chan, Halcrow’s project manager, said: “We successfully satisfied the needs and aspirations of all the divergent stakeholders, which included the London Borough of Tower Hamlets’ steering group, private developers, British Waterways, government agencies such as Transport for London and the London Development Agency, cycling bodies, and crucially, local communities.
“Furthermore, we brought our proven track record in helping private and public sector clients achieve their goals, as well as our unrivalled expertise, skills, systems, specialist input, reputation and local knowledge. And for the local community, we delivered an architecturally inspiring bridge with improved access to parks, residential areas and transport systems in a pleasant and traffic-free environment.”
Ashraf Ali of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets echoed similar sentiments. Specifically citing the success of the discussions, he said: “I thought that the consultation stage was really good. There were many useful comments but most importantly, we managed to capture the residents’ views as well as key stakeholders. The team also communicated well and addressed our requirements quickly and efficiently.”