Planning permission has been granted for a new timber footbridge across the River Usk in South Wales. 

Knight Architects and WSP will deliver the structure, which will connect the town of Abergavenny and the village of Llanfoist.

The two places are currently connected by a narrow highway bridge.

The new structure will be a quieter and safer route away from the highway. It crosses the river 100m downstream of the existing bridge and will become a valuable addition to the landscape, designed to respect the natural valley setting and reflect the rich heritage of the area. The structure comprises a two-span through beam (25m + 36m) with a timber and stainless-steel deck that has a 3m wide U-shaped cross section. These side beams also act as parapets and are protected with a geometric timber protective cladding that adds architectural interest in close views. 

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An intermediate concrete support pier with four stainless steel arms will also act as an efficient cutwater to the significant flood waters which can be experienced along the Usk Valley. The approach ramps are designed as smooth green embankments that appear as a natural alteration of the existing topography, raising the bridge structure above the flood water levels.   

Steve Heaney, Project Manager at WSP, said: "It is with much excitement for those involved in the design, but more importantly the public and stakeholders, that we can now advance into the next steps of delivery after being unanimously granted planning permission. 

"One of our key objectives of the project was to deliver a solution which will promote active travel for the local community and also address the onerous conditions which the public currently face. We can now look forward to moving towards construction of this architecturally elegant, innovative and functional footbridge."

Knight Architects' Associate, Héctor Beade-Pereda, added: "This project is particularly exciting for us as it will not only provide a greatly improved crossing route for the local communities, but will be an elegant, understated structure clad in timber – such a versatile material that is often underused in contemporary bridge structures. We wanted to ensure that the bridge will offer a harmonious addition to the sensitive setting, as well as being a functional structure which addresses the tricky site conditions and provides a more appropriate amenity for users."

(CM)