Scope of Works

McCann’s scope involved undertaking a wide range of technical activities within a constrained and environmentally sensitive riverside site:

Drainage & Ducting: McCann supplied and installed all drainage and ducting, including all associated excavation and backfilling, drainage chambers, gullies, access covers, jetting and CCTV surveys, and connections to existing drainage. Works further included the installation of service ducting, DNO supply, chambers and private supply ducting for illuminated signs and lighting.

Earthworks: McCann excavated and backfilled for pile cap construction, including the breakdown of pile heads, creating seven reinforced crane and piling platforms. McCann also undertook all works associated with the supply and installation of a reinforced embankment for the South side.

Kerbing and Paving: McCann supplied and installed paving, including subbases, bedding materials, joints, sealing, cuts, interfaces with all construction and other paving. Paving types include asphalt with high-friction surfacing, concrete block paving, stone fleck paving, corduroy paving and edging kerbs, all of which was matched to the paving used in the existing Trent Basin housing area.

Pre-cast Units: McCann supplied and installed all structural concrete units, including the amphitheatre foundation slabs, concrete planters, block steps, steps, and L-walls, and the west ramp pre-cast reinforced concrete structures.

Traffic Signs: McCann supplied and installed signage which shows the route is for use by pedal cycles and pedestrians only.

Lighting and CCTV: McCann supplied and installed all raise and lower lighting columns, illuminated bollards, and CCTV, including all associated works.

Landscaping: The scope of works included minor soft and hard landscaping elements, including concrete bases for litter bins, installation of timber slab benches on the pre-cast units, and topsoiling landscaped areas.

Multi Utilities: McCann diverted a critical potable water main running through the easement area.

When McCann started work, the site presented a combination of environmental legacy issues, buried infrastructure conflicts and high-risk waterside construction conditions. McCann successfully addressed these challenges through a combination of environmental stewardship, technical innovation and agile local delivery, finishing six months of planned activity in just two months to meet the completion window and planned opening in June 2026.

Andrew Gee, Project Manager at Balfour Beatty, commented, “McCann supported Balfour Beatty in delivering the Nottingham Footbridge project, undertaking the groundworks and lighting packages.  The site team, led by Richard and Adam, delivered the works safely, on time and on budget with the behaviours demonstrated by Keith Scott being exemplary and his proactive focus on safety being valued and recognised by the Balfour Beatty team.”

High-risk waterside construction

Constructing an 85m bridge over a fast-flowing river meant significant safety and environmental risks, including working at height next to water, the need to install scour protection, operating heavy plant on soft ground close to the river’s edge, and managing the risk of concrete, fuel or oil entering the River Trent. McCann stabilised the riverbanks with silk netting, erosion control measures and gabion mattresses.

All plant carried spill kits, supported by site-specific spill response training and emergency plans. Blue edge protection fencing was clamped directly to the river basin wall, creating a robust fall prevention barrier for works adjacent to water.

To support heavy crane loads on soft ground, McCann installed Tenser Geogrid beneath a 330m haul road. This innovation reduced stone requirements by approximately 1,100 tonnes, saving over £25,000, cutting more than 40 lorry movements and delivering measurable carbon reductions. Crane platforms incorporated load transfer beams to protect the existing river wall structure.

Health and Safety

Safety was embedded across all activities. In the 13-month programme there were:

  • Zero RIDDOR reportable incidents.
  • Zero lost-time injuries.
  • Zero service strikes.

McCann promoted a positive safety culture through observation reporting, workforce engagement and continuous improvement. Human Form Recognition (HFR) technology proximity alarms were installed on all plant to detect worker incursions. Rigorous edge protection, segregated walkways, and controlled fuelling and cleaning zones ensured safe working for both workforce and public.

Contaminated and environmentally-sensitive ground

Protecting the river’s ecology and leaving a positive biodiversity legacy were critical drivers for the project, requiring careful planning, segregation, handling and disposal of contaminated materials. During construction on the north bank brownfield site, 320 tonnes of soil contaminated with heavy oils measuring up to 400% above safe limits was found, creating a significant risk of river pollution every day that it rained. On the south bank, 250m² of land was overrun by Himalayan Balsam, an invasive species, with a further 160 tonnes of contaminated topsoil requiring removal.

Specific environmental initiatives included:

  • Creating strict controls to prevent the spread of invasive Himalayan balsam, including exclusion zones, wheel washing facilities and cleaning procedures for plant and footwear and sheeted wagons.
  • Carefully stripping, sheeting and removing all contaminated soils using a back‑loading strategy, where vehicles delivered clean stone to site and removed waste on return journeys.
  • Installing roadside concrete washout units incorporating pH-neutralisation systems.
  • Treating 480 tonnes of contaminated material offsite, eliminating future leaching risks.
  • Using Siltbuster treatment systems to ensure concrete wash water was neutralised and treated before discharge and to prevent sediment contamination.

The removal of historic contamination, eradication of invasive species, long-term riverbank protection and strict pollution control measures have delivered lasting environmental benefits to the River Trent corridor.

Ecological protection was also required after the discovery of a badger habitat. Works were re-sequenced until after the breeding season, and badger netting was installed to prevent future damage from burrowing.

Buried infrastructure constraints

On the south side, a water main was discovered within the footprint of the bridge’s foundations, with McCann’s full service offering our multiskilled teams could easily divert the 200m potable water main five metres south to clear the works. Serving Nottingham Rugby Club, it was important to carry out the works while maintaining supply and minimising disruption to the club’s operations and training facilities. Renewing the diverted main provided a long-term solution for the club.

Programme and logistical pressures

Maintaining programme certainty was essential, with little tolerance for slippage. One of the high-profile aspects of this project was the use of a Terex-Demag CC 6800 crawler crane, one of the largest tracked crawler cranes in Europe, to install the bridge. McCann’s works included all the groundworks needed to enable the crane to safely lift the 175-tonne bridge across the river. As the crane is in such high demand, securing this specialist equipment and completing the enabling works within the narrow window of availability was critical to the project’s success. Missing this opportunity could have delayed installation by several years.

Despite a 26% increase in project scope, including the installation of riverside handrailing, slip access steps, CCTV infrastructure and a 20% increase in paved pedestrian areas, McCann’s flexibility and ability to re-sequence works meant that these additional works could be undertaken without affecting the critical bridge landing date and the overall completion date. Allowing the project to achieve its completion date of June 2026.

Respecting our neighbours and supporting the local community

Disruption to the local community was minimised through considered construction methods, including the use of Trackmatt over existing pavements to avoid weeks of noisy and dusty block removal and reinstatement. Regular engagement with Nottingham Rugby Club, supported by McCann’s long‑standing sponsorship relationship, ensured continuity of operations and positive stakeholder relations.

McCann’s work extended beyond the works themselves, helping with a variety of social value activities to support the local community. “As well as the physical works, McCann have also been supportive of the project’s Social Impact aspirations, helping to far exceed the Social Value targets set at the beginning of the project, with over £6.7m of social value generated by the project. All of this has helped to leave a lasting legacy for Nottingham, and an iconic structure to be used and enjoyed by local communities for generations to follow.” Andrew Gee, Project Manager at Balfour Beatty.

Support included:

  • Levelling and installing a new patio area at St Ann’s Well Academy, a local school, to accompany staff benches.
  • Building gravel access paths to the Victorian-style greenhouse, spreading bark chippings around vegetable beds and donating a wheelbarrow and one tonne of gravel, as well as the use of a Hiab lorry-mounted crane and 7.5 tonne Tippers for the day at the historic Green’s Windmill and Community Garden.
  • McCann participated in Balfour Beatty’s Family Day, which brought operatives and their families together for a fun stand-down event. This included trips in our MEWPs, a bulldozer simulator, and Balfour Beatty brought out their robotic dog.
  • Raising money for Age UK Nottingham through a Step to Connect Challenge, walking 10,000 steps a day, the equivalent to crossing the Nottingham Footbridge 100 times each day.

Delivering a Lasting Legacy for Nottingham

The Waterside Bridge project demonstrates McCann’s capability to deliver complex civil engineering works on flagship infrastructure schemes operating under intense environmental, logistical and safety constraints. By combining decisive environmental remediation, strong stakeholder collaboration and agile local delivery, McCann has played a key role in transforming an old industrial site into a safe, attractive place for the local community.