Spectacular images showing the vision for a new £600m river crossing for East London have been unveiled.
Bridge East London, which would link Beckton and Thamesmead at Gallions Reach, has been designed by internationally renowned architects HOK, who recently completed the design for the interior of the BBC’s New Broadcasting House.
The crossing’s key features include a segregated cycle path and it would also open up new bus routes crossing the Thames.
World class engineering and design consultants at Arup, the firm that brought to life global landmarks including the Sydney Opera House, are also onboard the scheme.
Supporters of the project, which was launched by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) earlier this year, include former transport secretary Andrew Adonis, Newham Mayor Sir Robin Wales and Matthew Hall, chief commercial officer of City Airport.
Computer-generated images of the new bridge were unveiled on Monday, on the 120th anniversary of the completion of Tower Bridge, as it was announced that the campaign has been backed by more than 100 businesses so far, including Berkeley Homes and Canary Wharf Group.
Colin Stanbridge, Chief Executive of LCCI, said the bridge is integral to the continuation of the Newham’s Olympic legacy.
“It is an area with huge amounts of potential and while the Olympics acted as a crucible for creativity and dynamism in the area, its future growth is being held back by this gap in transport infrastructure,” he said.
“We know that the Mayor shares our enthusiasm for helping the east of the capital to maximise its exciting reinvention. The area is currently attracting the world’s brightest and best whether to the financial heartland of Canary Wharf, the Royal Docks development or the high-tech firms flocking to Silicon Roundabout in Shoreditch.
“New road river crossings linking east and south east London over the Thames will bring new jobs and homes to an area of the capital that has been overlooked for too long.”
Richard Gammon, HOK’s Global Director, Aviation and Transportation, said: “If the full potential of east London is to be harnessed and maximised to the benefit of our growing city, then we need to provide catalysts to enable that potential to flourish.
“Improving connectivity and accessibility is a key element of this regenerative process, and we strongly believe that a new bridge in this location will act as a powerful stimulant to growth, the strengthening of local communities and businesses, and the enhancement of the local environment.”
Stephanos Samaras, director at Arup added: “London’s infrastructure is already under pressure and as the city’s population continues to grow it is more important than ever that we provide better accessibility and connectivity to integrate communities.
“Infrastructure projects such as Crossrail are going a long way to help increase capacity but this proposed bridge could provide a much needed link for east London.”
Read more:
BIG DEBATE: Should we build a new Thames river crossing in east London?
New river crossing is needed to ‘unlock the potential of East London’
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