Gull Wing Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Lake Lothing before the bridge was complete | |
| Coordinates | 52°28′26″N 1°43′59″E / 52.474°N 1.733°E |
| OS grid reference | TM536928 |
| Carries | Vehicles (A12 Road) Pedestrians |
| Crosses | Lake Lothing Lowestoft to Norwich line East Suffolk line |
| Locale | Lowestoft, Suffolk |
| Begins | Denmark Road Peto Way (north) |
| Ends | Waveney Drive (south) |
| Other name(s) | Lake Lothing Third Crossing |
| Named for | A gull's wings |
| Owner | Suffolk County Council |
| Website | gullwingbridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Arup Bam Nuttall Design Council Cabe |
| Total length | 342m |
| Width | 22m (maximum) |
| Height | 62m (when open) |
| No. of spans | 8 |
| Piers in water | 2 |
| Clearance below | 12 metres (39 ft) (High water) 6 metres (20 ft) (Railway) |
| No. of lanes | 2 Vehicle Lanes Shared Use Footway/Cycle Way |
| Design life | 120 Years |
| History | |
| Constructed by | Farrans Construction |
| Fabrication by | Victor Buyck Steel Construction |
| Construction start | 22 March 2021 |
| Construction cost | £148 million (projected) |
| Opening | 7 September 2024 |
| Location | |
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The Gull Wing Bridge is a rolling bascule bridge that spans Lake Lothing in the town of Lowestoft, Suffolk, England, and is the largest bridge of its kind in the world to date.[1][2] Designed to be lifted using hydraulic cylinders and to be higher than the existing bascule bridge at the harbour mouth, it serves both as a new link for the arterial roads in the area, such as the A12, and as a means to try to reduce traffic congestion that frequently occurs in Lowestoft.
The idea of a third bridge crossing for Lowestoft was first suggested in 1918, with a proposed plan for the crossing at Lake Lothing being eventually approved in 2020. Construction of the bridge began a year later, and took three years to be completed, with the bascule span being constructed in Europe before being shipped to England for installation. The bridge's name, picked from several entries in a competition held amongst local schools, was inspired by the local gull population that are a common sight in the town. Originally planned for opening in Summer, delays led to the bridge being opened to traffic on 7 September 2024.[3][4]
- ^ Kanaris, Sotiris (21 October 2022). "Future of Bridges | Lowestoft's record-breaking, congestion-busting bascule bridge". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- ^ "Final stage of Gull Wing Bridge installation begins in Lowestoft". BBC News. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ "Update on Gull Wing construction works affecting Denmark Road, Lowestoft". Suffolk County Council. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ^ "New era for Lowestoft as Gull Wing set to open". Suffolk County Council. Retrieved 30 August 2024.