The bridge will link new Silvertown development with Custom House Elizabeth Line station and the ExCel exhibition centre.
The plans, submitted by Lendlease’s Silvertown Partnership, support the planned £5bn development of the Silvertown site, which when complete should have around 6,500 homes.
The Millennium Mills building, left derelict and largely disused for around 40 years, will be restored and form the centrepiece of the new community.
An existing Royal Victoria Dock footbridge already provides a connection over the dock, but its elevated design to allow for marine traffic creates a 14-metre level difference between the dock side and the bridge deck, making it only accessible by several flights of stairs or lifts.
The proposed new bridge is step-free bridge, close to the water in a double-S curve, with seating areas where people can rest and take in views across the dock. The bridge will open at its mid-point with a double bascule mechanism, allowing vessels to pass as required.
The bridge will be funded from a £233m loan from Homes England that has been provided to support the delivery of homes on the site. This public sector involvement has enabled The Silvertown Partnership to progress with plans on the site further than any other previous development consortium over the last 40 years. Infrastructure works are now under way on site.
The Silvertown Partnership comprises Lendlease, the Greater London Authority (GLA), Homes England and the Guinness Partnership (TGP).
Lendlease project director Ed Mayes said: “This new bridge is key to unlocking the potential of the site, transforming the connectivity across the Royal Docks and putting London’s West End in reach in just 20 minutes. The stunning design of the new bridge will elevate it as a gateway to Silvertown’s exciting new piece of the city, and provide car-free access for all, establishing the Royal Docks as a pleasurable place to live, work and play.”
The bridge and jetty team includes:
- Moxon Architects – bridge architect
- SLA – jetty design
- Buro Happold – engineering and sustainability
- Eadon Consulting – specialist mechanical engineer
- Aecom – environmental impact assessment
- Arup – transport
- Lord Consultants – accessibility
- Eddowes Aviation Safety – aviation
- DP9 – planning
- Soundings – community engagement
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