Work to install a new footbridge at Gibraltar Point nature reserve is about to start.

The new, 42 metre structure, currently called The Gibraltar Point Bridge, will become a major link in the 124-mile-long route that travels through Lincolnshire as part of the new King Charles III England Coast Path National Trail.  

Plans to spend £1.8m on the bridge over the Steeping River were agreed by Lincolnshire County Council in September 2025.

Funded by Natural England and installed by Lincolnshire County Council which operates as the access authority in the county, this new bridge is a key link in the King Charles III England Coast Path that continues along the seawalls to Boston and links to the visitor centre at Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve and will, for the first time, open this stretch of coastline to the public.

Gibraltar Point visitor centre, close to where the new bridge will be installed. Photo: LCC

placeholder image — Gibraltar Point visitor centre, close to where the new bridge will be installed. Photo: LCC

This is the final piece of infrastructure required to complete the route through Lincolnshire and is planned to be opened by the middle of this summer.

The first part of the lengthy works programme getting underway is to lower some hedging and trim back other vegetation so that access routes can be widened. This is for the coming arrival of the long and wide vehicles necessary for the bridge build.  

To avoid disturbance during the bird nesting season, the vegetation works are planned to take place on Thursday, February 19 and Friday, February 20.  

Once the clearance works are complete, attention will shift to a schedule of enabling works to upgrade tracks and lay down access areas for machinery, bridge delivery and a crane. That second phase will begin in spring with an expected duration of around six weeks, before the bridge construction proper gets underway. The two halves will be welded together as a single span. It is designed to have a 120-year life.

Chris Miller, Head of Environment at Lincolnshire County Council said: “It’s great news that we can get the first phases of work underway for the new bridge.  

“Our team will carry out the vegetation clearance quickly to keep disruption as minimal as possible into the nesting season, and we will do everything possible to maintain access for those visiting the area. 

“The plan is to build the bridge off-site and then install it as two large pieces which will mean that the amount of time we will need to have heavy machinery on-site will be kept to a minimum.   

“These works will take a few months to complete, and the end result will be a terrific new footbridge that will be a benefit for many years to come.” 