St Philips Footbridge

The historic Temple Meads railway station in Bristol has seen rail-related activities for almost 180 years, however much of the land is no longer in use. Changing Temple Island into a new neighbourhood is one of the city’s most important urban development projects .

The new St Philips footbridge spans the River Avon, improving access to Temple Island, which is surrounded by the watercourse, two railway lines and a highway. The 50m-span and 4m-wide footbridge resolves a complex crossing problem: the connection of two banks with a significant level difference.

The bridge is a forked steel beam with a ramp for disabled people and cyclists and a staircase on the pedestrian ‘desire line’. A holistic architectural, functional and structural approach results in a bridge that is compact and clearly legible for users while being architecturally distinctive.

The bridge is planned as a catalyst for urban regeneration, setting the new quality benchmark for the future development of the area.