Bedford
Butterfly Bridge

Places > Bedford > Bridges > Butterfly Bridge

In 1996 Bedford Borough Council organised a single stage Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) 'Open' competition for a pedestrian footbridge over the River Great Ouse at Bedford. Designers were invited to 'build a bridge which would mark the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st'. The competition attracted 79 entries with the Butterfly Bridge jointly designed by Wilson Eyre Architects and Jan Bobrowski Engineers, the winning entry. Prince Charles opened the bridge in June 1998. The cost of the bridge was £370,000.

Sources:

• Newspaper Cuttings Collection, Local Studies Library, Bedford Central Library

Bedford Butterfly Bridge, by Bedfordshire Libraries, 2009

Page last updated: 1st February 2016