Christchurch Bridge

Christchurch Bridge, originally known as the Reading Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge, is a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the River Thames at Reading in the English county of Berkshire. The bridge links the centre of Reading on the south bank with the cross-river suburb, and former village, of Caversham on the north bank. It crosses the river some 200 metres (660 ft) above Reading Bridge, and immediately downstream of Fry's Island.^[2][3][4]

Christchurch Bridge
Christchurch Bridge seen from close to Reading Bridge
Coordinates	51.462115°N 0.970251°W / 51.462115; -0.970251
Crosses	River Thames
Locale	Reading
Characteristics
Design	Cable-stayed
Total length	68 m (223 ft)
Width	3.5 m (11 ft) - 6.75 m (22.1 ft)
No. of spans	1
History
Designer	James Skilton[1]
Opened	30 September 2015
Location

Design

The bridge was designed by Design Engine Architects in collaboration with engineers Peter Brett Associates, and opened on 30 September 2015. The bridge won a commendation in the 2016 Civic Trust Awards.^[2][3][5][6]

The cable-stayed bridge has a 68-metre-long (223 ft) river span, which is supported by 14 pairs of cables from a 39-metre-high (128 ft) mast that is asymmetrically placed on the north bank of the river. The walkway ranges in width from 3.5 metres (11 ft) to 6.75 metres (22.1 ft) and divides to pass either side of the mast. The walkway and mast are illuminated by 234 LED lights, of which 39 can be programmed to change colour.^[2][5]

Name

The original bridge name was a working name, and Reading Borough Council held a competition for a permanent name. The new name was confirmed as Christchurch Bridge at a council meeting on 22 March 2015. The name relates to Christchurch Meadows, the bridge's landing point in Caversham, which in turn is named after Christ Church in Oxford, whose dean owned 25 acres (10 ha) of farmland in Reading. The name also reflects more recent links between Reading and Christ Church, which was involved in the foundation of the University of Reading.^[2][4][6][7]

Gallery

• 
  The southern ramp
• 
  Walkway and mast
• 
  The bridge by night

See also

• List of crossings of the River Thames

References

1. Fort, Linda (30 September 2015). "New pedestrian and cycle bridge opened with pomp and Pooh Sticks". Berkshire Live. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
2. "Reading Thames bridge for pedestrians and cyclists opens". BBC. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
3. "Reading's New Bridge Opens Today". Reading Borough Council. 30 September 2015. Archived from the original on 25 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
4. "It's official: public vote choses [sic] name for Reading bridge". ITV. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
5. "Reading Bridge". Milan: Editoriale Domus Spa. 5 October 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2015.
6. "Reading's pedestrian bridge wins Civic Trust Award". AltReading. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
7. "Name of Reading's pedestrian bridge revealed". AltReading. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2016.

External links

• Media related to Christchurch Bridge at Wikimedia Commons
• Time-lapse video of the construction of the bridge at YouTube

Next bridge upstream	River Thames	Next bridge downstream
Caversham Bridge	Christchurch Bridge Grid reference SU715742	Reading Bridge