Background
Bridges are an important part of creating a sense of place. The design of the various bridges across the project has been considered to mitigate the impact of the introduction of large urban features into a predominantly rural landscape.
The bridges are designed to have a slender form and open spans. For instance, the Caldew Crossing is a slender design with open spans to reduce the visual impact and maintain views up and down the River Caldew along the Cumbrian Way. Other bridges shall be designed to have curved wing walls, clad in Lazonby Sandstone, to provide a design that is more sympathetic to the rural landscape.
Locally sourced, sandstone masonry cladding has been proposed for the substructures of the bridges to ensure that the designs respond to the local vernacular of the area and create a sense of local distinctiveness and identity. The use of sandstone and weathering steel also help to ensure that the bridges are less visually prominent in the landscape, as the muted colour palette will reduce the dominance of these features.
Good design and use of quality materials for these new structures also help to establish a sense of local pride in these areas and celebrate some of the key characteristics of the landscape.