Woking Connectivity Project
19 November 2021
Doran
Consulting were delighted to have provided civil and structural engineering
design services to the newly constructed pedestrian and cycle bridge spanning
the Basingstoke Canal and towpath extension works. The works extended the
canal towpath under the existing Chobham Road highway bridge and connects to
the new steel bridge structure.
The newly constructed bridge spans over the Basingstoke canal and in turn ties into new ramps connected to the existing towpath, seamlessly uniting both sides of the canal without the need for pedestrians or cyclists to cross the busy road. The project is set to encourage cyclists and greater use of the towpath and is part of Woking Borough council’s wider multi-million-pound highway improvement and town rejuvenation scheme.
To enable construction a section of the Basingstoke Canal was dammed off and pumps were used to temporarily drain it, allowing for the foundation and groundworks to be completed on the canal bed. The scheme design follows the characteristics of the surrounding area, featuring a ground bearing gabion structure for the towpath which also acts as retaining walls. The bridge is simply supported and bears on a piled reinforced concrete abutment on one side and on a bank seat to the other.
The scheme provides DDA compliant and step-free access, that allows for uninterrupted direct crossings of the waterway and features non-slip surfacing, stainless steel handrails and resident wildlife have been considered with the incorporation of bat-friendly lighting and environmentally sensitive landscaping.
For more information please see :https://www.woking.gov.uk/footbridge