Dukes Meadows Footbridge

Barnes Railway Bridge in 2020, looking downstream from the south bank, forming a barrier to the Thames Path along the north bank (left). Duke's Hollow nature reserve is on the extreme left of the image.

Before the bridge was constructed, the Thames Path on the north bank of the River Thames at Dukes Meadows, Chiswick was unable to cross the line of the railway near the river. Instead, it diverted some 300 metres northwestwards to the nearest tunnel under the railway embankment. It left the river to run parallel to the railway along The Promenade by the railway's eastern side, returning parallel to the railway on Dan Mason Drive by the railway's western side.[1]

The footbridge connects the Thames Path on either side of the railway, allowing the path to follow the river without diversion, and in the words of the London Borough of Hounslow's report Duke's Meadows Regeneration, "removing a frustrating dog-leg along the scenic walking and cycling route."[1] Because Barnes Railway Bridge is a Grade II listed historic structure, it could not be used as a support, so the footbridge was required to have its own independent support structures, with the footway passing below the northern span of the railway bridge. The bridge is to be open to pedestrians and to users of wheelchairs, mobility scooters and pushchairs.[2]

• 
  Site of the downstream, eastern end of the footbridge, below Barnes Railway Bridge, August 2021, before piling work began
• 
  Pump and Pilings for downstream pier, April 2022

The bridge was designed by Moxon Architects as a "half through" truss structure. The diagonal braces are angled to allow people on the bridge to see the river as much as possible while crossing. The part of the footway in line with the river is supported by two cylindrical piers in the riverbed, one upstream and one downstream of the existing railway bridge. The west and east approaches are supported between those piers and two end piers on the riverbank. The piers are cylinders of steel containing poured concrete. The footway structure is of stainless steel and aluminium.[3][4] Planning permission for the design was granted early in 2019,[5] with strong local support.[6]

CampbellReith served as consulting engineers for the bridge's structural, geotechnical, environmental, and civil engineering. Marine engineering was provided by Marmus, and electrical engineering by Slender Winter Partnership.[3] Environmental consultancy was by Thomson.[7]

Construction was by Knights Brown.[8] Project management and quantity surveying was by Currie & Brown.[3] The diagonals for the main span, originally designed as solid struts, are to be hollow, reducing material usage and lightening the structure.[9] The main span of the bridge is to be floated in at high tide on pontoons; when the tide goes down, the span will settle into position on its footings.[9] The bridge is planned to be completed in 2022.[2]

Media related to Dukes Meadows Footbridge at Wikimedia Commons