Children can name bridge over River Nene in Peterborough

The bridge over the River Nene is being refurbished as part of National Highways’ A47 Guyhirn upgrade, with youngsters aged 4-16 years old from schools and youth groups around the region being asked to share their ideas about what the bridge could be called on the multi-million pound improvement scheme. 

Entrants have until Friday 11 February to share their creative and imaginative name for the bridge as part of the National Highways £25 million upgrade, along with a short explanation of their choice, with the winner getting a One for all £25 voucher in addition to their pride of seeing their chosen name on the plaque at the bridge.

Chris Griffin, National Highways Programme Lead for the A47 schemes, said: “Our work to upgrade the junction at Guyhirn will help to reduce delays and make journeys times more reliable for people that live, work and travel in and around the area. By involving children in the project we hope to peak their interest in our work, hopefully putting them on the path to becoming a talent engineer, on whom the country’s infrastructure and national economy will one day depend.”

Galiford Try Guyhirn project manager, Tim Walker, said: “This upgraded junction will play a key role in alleviating traffic in the local area, so it’s only right that we work with local people and communities to involve them in the scheme. Renaming this bridge may be a bit of fun, but it also involves local children in engineering and construction projects near them, getting them interested in what’s happening and perhaps planting the seed for a future career in our industry.”

The original Guyhirn Bridge was opened on 22 April 1925, allowing traffic between the A47 and A141 without going through Wisbech. It was a ferry crossing point up to a century before that.

The bridge was then demolished in 1991 when the current bridge was opened slightly upstream and on 10 October 1990 by Malcolm Moss MP, and currently carries 12,000 vehicles a day over the Nene.

The Guyhirn junction upgrade is one of six projects National Highways is doing to improve the A47 between Peterborough and Great Yarmouth. Three sections of the 115-mile stretch of the A47 between Peterborough and Great Yarmouth will be upgraded to dual carriageway. Norfolk sections will be upgraded between Blofield and North Burlingham and from North Tuddenham to Easton, while in Peterborough the A47 between Wansford and Sutton will also be dualled.

Work on the roundabout is due to be completed in spring 2022.

Entrants need to email [email protected] with their name, address and a parental contact number and their suggested bridge name.