It’s the first footbridge of its kind in the world to allow people to ride on it while it opens.
Crossing a bridge is most of the time as easy as putting one foot in front of the other until you get to the other side.
That’s not the case with one rather special bridge in Hull that allows people to remain on it whilst it opens to allow boats and ships past.
The Scale Lane footbridge was officially opened in June 2013 and since then has gained a rightful place on lists of remarkable landmarks – and is listed by the Architectural Digest (USA) as one of ‘World’s 20 Most Impressive Bridges’.
The iconic footbridge – which many say resembles an apostrophe – has won many prestigious national and international awards including a World Architecture News Transport award, a Civic Trust award and a World Architecture Festival Transport award.
The Hull City Council explains more about the swing bridge which links Scale Lane with Tower Street.
It said: “It creates a unique pedestrian route between the city’s museums in the historic Old Town and The Deep Submarium, as well as accommodating river traffic.
“It is the only moving bridge in the world where people can stay on it as it swings open.”
The Scale Lane swing bridge is part of a cycle route and through winter the bridge will only open if there is a boat passing through.
The bridge has a restaurant and other seating for bridge visitors and cost £7 million.
Planning for the black steel footbridge began in 2005 and McDowell+Benedetti won a competition to design it. Alan Baxter Ltd was hired as the structural engineer on the project.
The design has also been praised in the Observer which said it was a “destination in its own right” and attracts visitors from outside the area. However it’s not the only famous bridge in Hull.
Hull’s 7,280ft (2,220m) long Humber Bridge was the longest single span suspension bridge in the world when it opened in June 1981. Critics, however, said the planned site was not a particularly busy route and the bridge would be expensive.
The local council wanted to boost the local economy though, lobbied for the plan to go ahead and work started in 1973.
The Humber Bridge joins east Yorkshire to north Lincolnshire and is a landmark that’s visible from miles away.
The bridge was made a Grade 1 listed building in 2017 to coincide with Hull’s year as UK City of Culture.
