A 40-metre pedestrian and cycle bridge by Matter Architecture spans the bustling A63 road in Hull and extends to form a pair of viewing platforms over the city’s docks.

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The £22 million bridge improves the connection between the city’s centre and waterfront and was commissioned by Highways England as part of a wider improvement scheme around the A63 road, which follows the curves of the Humber River through the centre of Hull.

The deck of the bridge is suspended from a steel arch with a billowing canopy form, which extends to shelter viewing points at either end overlooking Princes Quay and Humber Dock Marina. It sets down into terraced landscaping on either side of the A63, where steps and ramps offer multiple approaches to the crossing and seating offers spots to enjoy the views.

The 150 tonne bridge was fabricated in sections by SH Structures and assembled nearby before being transported down the A63 as a single piece on a self-propelled modular transporter.

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“This project presented a great opportunity to re-establish vital connections across the highway and to create a series of new public places for people to enjoy the city,” says Jonathan McDowell, who leads London-based Matter Architecture alongside Roland Karthaus.

“It’s wonderful to see people beginning to make use of the new routes and viewpoints, and we are proud to see the dramatic form of the bridge already becoming a landmark within the city’s identity.”

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Locals have voted to name the bridge Murdoch’s Connection after doctor and suffragist Mary Murdoch, who was Hull’s first female GP and founder of the city’s Women’s Suffrage Society.

Murdoch’s Connection is located close by to the Scale Lane Swing Bridge in Hull’s Old Town, which was designed by McDowell+Benedetti – Jonathan McDowell’s former practice – and opened in 2013.

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