Last year saw the progression of London’s Garden Bridge with more to come in 2016. The unique project, designed by Heatherwick Studio, will provide a new walking route in central London, spanning the River Thames and linking the South and North Banks to Convent Garden and beyond.

The public garden and pedestrian crossing will take users on a journey through London’s horticultural history, from wild marshland to cultivated gardens with 6,000m2 of new open space. Thousands of shrubs, perennials, ferns, grasses and bulbs, and 270 trees have been picked to thrive all year round.

Bee Emmott, executive director of the Garden Bridge Trust, said: “We have made real progress in 2015, and as we go into the New Year, the project is gaining momentum. We were delighted to have been able to make adjustments to our design and construction timelines after consultation with the community. Next year, construction will begin and the Bridge will become a reality. Nearly 80% of Londoners surveyed recently stated that they wanted the bridge to be built.”

Construction of the Bridge will be completed in less than 32 months. The main structure of the bridge deck will be manufactured off-site in Cimolai’s manufacturing facility in Italy. Bridge sections will then be transported by sea to the UK, coming in to Port Tilbury, Essex, for partial assembly, and then brought up the Thames to the site by barge in four large sections to be lifted into place with minimal disruption to those living and working nearby.

The Trust entered into the next phase of the contract with Bouygues TP-Cimolai JV for detailed design and other pre-construction services in December, marking a clear transition into starting to organise. Preparatory works, scheduled to begin in spring 2016.

In 2016 plans start to take shape. There will be further planning meetings with Lambeth and Westminster Councils in 2016 to discharge all planning conditions. The construction contract will be signed early in the New Year with construction beginning in the summer.

Preparatory works are scheduled to begin in the spring with the moving of HQS Wellington to its new location about 100m down the River Thames, to provide access to the northern landing. Two major sponsor announcements will be made early in the new year and the Trust will run a public fundraising campaign later in the year so that people can be part of the project. There will also be further selection, cultivation and acclimatisation of the plants for the garden.

For more information visit www.gardenbridge.london