The Pier Head Ferry Landing Stage project, designed by Cass Associates, reached completion this week with the installation of the 40 metre long linkspan bridge.
The bridge links Mersey Ferries’ floating landing platform to the Pier Head quay and is expected to carry hundreds of thousands of commuters annually. One of the key design challenges was to ensure the safe and efficient flow of heavy passenger traffic along the waterfront and in and out of the Pier Head Ferry Terminal building.
The bridge is constructed as an open sided triangulated tubular steel frame with a curved diamond grid roof structure which is clad in mill finish aluminium. The steel bridge deck has a non-slip finish and pivoting access ramps with handrails to ensure safe access and movement along the bridge during high and low tides.
Nautically inspired, it features yacht-type cable wires as balustrades with tubular steel handrails along its outer edges and a central glazed barrier to separate arriving and departing passengers. This combination of openness and transparency enables the panoramic views of the river to be maintained along the length of the bridge.
The linkspan structure was designed by TGP with Cass Associates responsible for the cladding, handrails, shutter and signage. Merseytravel was the lead client on the £8m project with end users being Mersey Ferries and Mersey Fire and Rescue Service.
The Cass team, Richard Cass and Mark Line, was appointed as part of the tender process with main contractors Balfour Beatty.