Landmark Dundee pedestrian bridge lifted into place by Morgan Sindall

Equivalent to half a football pitch long, the arched bridging section has been designed by Morgan Sindall engineers and assembled on-site over the last eight weeks.

The team undertook the painstaking task of lifting the 70-tonne structure into place in a procedure which took around two hours.

Spanning the east coast railway line west of Dundee railway station, the bridge was slotted exactly into place with just millimeters of leeway at either end.

Once complete and operational in May, the bridge will give pedestrian, disabled and cycle access to the River Tay waterfront from the north of the town helping visitors avoid a 1.5 kilometre detour around the rail line.

The bridge also aligns with the recently constructed steps at Seabraes allowing for direct connection through the Seabraes development sites to the University of Dundee campus. Footpath and cycleway facilities also permit connections to Dundee city centre and the popular west end residential district.

Will Dawson, convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee said: “The stunning design and strategic location of the new bridge will make it a landmark in the city in no time.

“I am delighted to see the progress that is being made and looking forward to pedestrians and cyclists getting easy access from one of the main arteries of Dundee to the heart of the waterfront.”

Robert Ogg, area director for infrastructure projects at Morgan Sindall, said: “The lift this weekend was the culmination of many weeks of work for our team and was an exciting moment for us all.

“We approached the job with confidence and we look forward to opening the bridge to users in just a few weeks’ time.”

Morgan Sindall started work at the footbridge site in October 2014.