Deptford Creek Swing Bridge Opened to the public

by Benson Agoha | Greenwich London

A new Bridge across Deptford Creek, which connects the Millennium Quay estate and the New Capital Quay, was today commissioned in Greenwich, amidst cheers and praises.

The opening ceremony was well attended, with officials from Royal Borough of Greenwich led by Borough Leader, Cllr. Denise Hyland and Cllr. Mathew Pennycook, the Counsellor of West Greenwich Ward, where it is located.

There were also officials from Galliard Homes led by Mr Michael Watson, the designers, Civil and Structural Engineers, Flint Neill and the architects, Moxon Architects, who approved the architectural design.

Deptford Creek Swing Bridge is 53m long and comes with a 16m high mast. It can swing 110o horizontally in two minutes and requires only three of its four 4.4kW electric motors to do so. The structure is counterbalanced with a 130tonne back-span.

The bridge will be opened as and when necessary to allow boats and ships to enter or leave the Creek - depending on the water tide and or the size of the boat. It also comes with approach steps and ramps, on both sides, to ensure easy access by all.

The unique bridge was designed and built, bearing in mind the location and other engineering issues, Cllr Denise Hyland, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich told members of the public who attended the opening. She said Royal Greenwich will work to ensure easy access to all parts of the borough.

“We are determined to make sure that all access routes to the Royal Borough are unbroken” she said adding “we have two other areas that need linking and we will ensure these too are connected.”  She said due to construction and development works around the Borough, water ways access was necessary to ensure that “spoils” from those sites are “not carried by trailers through our streets.”

Cllr. Hyland said: “This is a really exciting addition to the Royal Borough – not only is it a feat of modern engineering and a really eye-catching structure, it really helps local residents and visitors by providing a proper link up the Thames Path."

"It means local people will have shorter journey times on foot or by bike to access local transport routes, and that people walking up the riverside path for enjoyment won’t have to deviate away from the Thames Path back onto the main road. Its innovative design also allows our important riverside industries full access up the Creek."

"We’re really keen to continue to maximise the draw of our wonderful riverfront here in the Royal Borough of Greenwich and this bridge is a major new addition to our waterfront offer. It’s also brilliant news that we’ve secured funding from Transport for London to join up another link further down the Thames Path close to the Thames Barrier. It will mean people can enjoy an unbroken Thames Path right from Tower Bridge to Kent”

Chairman & Chief Executive of Galliard Homes, Stephen Conway said: “This new bridge connects for the very first time the Deptford and Greenwich Thames pathways and provides a new promenade setting for local residents, joggers, cyclists and tourists alike."

"The bridge has been designed as both a functional transport mode as well as a striking artistic architectural statement by the River Thames.  Greenwich is one of the UK’s most high profile tourist destinations so it was critical that the new bridge showcased striking architecture and good design. This historic former dockyard and industrial facility has been regenerated into a new waterside village and provides an important link between the communities of Deptford and Greenwich.”

Cllr. Mathew Pennycook agreed with the Cllr. Hyland and said the bridge took enormous amount of contribution from various professionals to bring it to fruition. He thanked them for taking time off to come and witness the opening.

He said “It’s has been a long time coming and has taken enormous amount of work from different professionals to bring to fruition. Thank you very much for coming. We will now watch at the bridge is opened and closed.”

After the linkage with the other end, pedestrians from Millenium Quay and those from New Capital Quay, led by Cllr. Denise Hyland met half way on top of the Bridge, before posing for photographs.

Residents of both estates who attended were ecstatic, as it means easy passage across the two sides, shortening journey times from one end to the other and making life easier for joggers, pedestrians, cyclists and limited mobility vehicles. Residents of the Millennium Quay and beyond will now be able to shop easily at nearby Waitrose Supermarket, located in New Capital Quay.

The construction, which started in April last year, took 9 months to complete in December, 2014.

Read the More News From Woolwich Online.