Green light for new London bridge

The bridge will be Y-shaped and will have a 45-metre mast

A unique 'mast' bridge across the River Lea in east London has been granted planning permission.

The £3.5m Landmark Bridge will link Tower Hamlets and Newham and will be for pedestrians and cyclists only.

The Y-shaped cable structure, which has a 45-metre (148-feet) mast and a 'tilt-and-pivot' motion, is due for completion in 2007.

The bridge will connect the Leamouth peninsula near the Millennium Dome to Canning Town station.

Community involvement

At present, access to the Leamouth area is limited with residents, businesses and visitors finding it difficult to make the most of the area's public transport and other amenities.

Leaside Regeneration Limited, which commissioned the design for the bridge, have involved the local community through consultations and workshops with schoolchildren.

Funding for the bridge has come from Transport for London and the Sustainable Communities Plan of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

The bridge also features inventive use of materials and lighting effects including an aluminium deck, sculptural staircases, LED lighting and crushed glass lightboxes.