The pedestrian and cycle bridge will connect the Lady Bay area south of the river with the Trent Basin waterside housing estate on the north side of the river, closer to the city centre.

The current construction cost estimate is around £12m including contingency and this will be refined following the planning process.

The budget was refined upwards from £9m in part due to changes to the design, further clarity on the construction processes and inflation.

A planning application will now be submitted in early summer this year, with Balfour Beatty hoping to start construction in Spring 2024.

Balfour won the project through its Scape framework and will be supported by infrastructure consultant Pick Everard delivering project management and quantity surveying services.

Government funding was secured through the Transforming Cities programme during the design conception stage, which helped to boost project momentum.

Jon Kiteley, area director for Balfour Beatty’s regional civils business, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed by Nottingham City Council to deliver the first crossing over the River Trent in the city in 65 years.”