Herring Bridge shortlisted for IABSE Award

Herring Bridge has transformed travel across Great Yarmouth, connecting communities on either side of the harbour, easing traffic congestion, shortening journey times, and improving journey reliability. Image courtesy of BAM Farrans Joint Venture.

To mark the official opening of the bridge, Norfolk County Council organised a procession of pedestrians, cyclists, classic cars, cargo trucks, and emergency vehicles.

This perspective of the bridge shows the bascule pit and the rear underside of the bridge. The central hydraulic power unit actuates the two pairs of yellow cylinders efficiently.

The presence of soft ground across the site drove the design choices of every engineering design and discipline.

We are proud to announce that Herring Bridge in Great Yarmouth has been shortlisted for the prestigious IABSE Awards in the Small Road and Rail Bridges category. This marks our second consecutive year making the IABSE Awards shortlist, with Whitegates to Athlone Castle Cycleway among the finalist projects in the Pedestrian and Cycle Bridges category in 2024.

The IABSE Awards honour extraordinary talent and ground-breaking projects that shape the field of bridge and structural engineering. The other finalists in the Small Road and Rail Bridges category are: Aare Bridge, Switzerland; Gull Wing Bridge, UK; and Pamban Vertical Lift Bridge, India.

The winners will be announced at a gala dinner in Zurich, Switzerland on 14 November 2025.

About Herring Bridge

Herring Bridge has been hailed as one of the region’s most significant infrastructure projects. The £121m bridge is the town’s third crossing of the River Yare and enhances the port’s reputation as an international gateway and a major UK offshore renewable energy, oil, and gas base.

The 50m, clear-span, twin-leaf bascule bridge fits harmoniously into its surroundings without forming barriers, creates spacious recreational areas for pedestrians and cyclists, and meets the highest demands for sustainability.

ROD involvement

ROD led the detailed design of the project on behalf of BAM Farrans, a joint venture between BAM UK & Ireland and Farrans Construction. Our design partners were global experts in moveable bridges, H&H, and Norfolk-based architecture firm, Lanpro.

We were involved in the project from 2018, providing a broad range of multidisciplinary engineering services to our client, including bridge, structural, highways, geotechnical, environmental, and drainage design.