The A40 Perryn Road footbridge across the A40 Western Avenue provides improved disabled and cycle access, and a safe route across the busy dual carriageway beneath it.

The bridge was designed in collaboration with Arcadis and forms part of a wider regeneration plan for this stretch of road, overseen by the Transport for London (TfL) Streets department.

The design replaced an existing footbridge and incorporates both ramped access and stairs for the local users; among them are hundreds of schoolchildren who use this crossing daily.

The main complexity was in locating the footprint of the access ramps in the restricted space next to the highway. To maintain a generous pedestrian zone and deal with the major services buried in the ground, the 30m span is placed diagonally across the road. This makes the bridge visible from the most important pedestrian routes as well as giving it a dynamic appearance from the A40.

The sequence of construction also informed the design. The new diagonal span was built alongside the existing footbridge. Once the new span was in place, it was immediately put into use with stair access whilst the old footbridge was demolished to make room for the new ramps. These were then installed while the new span was open, minimising disruption and eliminating the need for any temporary crossings.