Cranes brought in as city’s swing bridge takes shape

Over the next few months the river will be a hotbed of activity as contractors from Barnsley-based Qualter Hall complete the hub on which the bridge will rotate. In October, an even bigger crane will be bought in to lift the spine of the bridge into place.

The bridge, which will have eye-catching lighting displays and will open to the sound of a waterfall, is based on a concept by architects McDowell and Benedetti. It is shaped to represent a whale looked at from the side, with a fin on the top while another two at the very tip will enclose gates that shut when the bridge is about to move.

Originally the bridge was to be used to link the west bank of the river with the east where the £100m Boom development, which included flats, offices, shops and restaurants, was to be built. Since the project’s demise, it is hoped the bridge will provide a tourist attraction in itself, as for the first time in the UK people will be allowed to stand on it as it moves.

Technical director Graham Carr said work was on schedule. He added: “There’s a lot to do before we lift the spine in. We have to finish the hub works and put in a lot of concrete reinforcing to act as a counter-balance to the spine.”