New pedestrian walkway set for summer opening at UK’s oldest seaside pier

Wightlink’s new pedestrian walkway, which links the FastCat terminal at Ryde Pier Head with Ryde Esplanade, has been completed and is set to open in the summer.

Andy Whitlock from contractor Knights Brown secured the final plank on the walkway at the UK’s oldest and the second-longest seaside pier in the country at half a mile.

He was watched by Wightlink’s head of port operations Dean Murphy, who said: "Strollers now have their own path, away from cars and bicycles, making Ryde Pier more pleasurable for people who want to walk by the sea or travel on foot to and from Wightlink’s FastCats.

READ MORE: Solent ferry service Wightlink appoints new commercial director

"New shelters and seats will offer everyone a chance to relax and enjoy the beautiful views across the Solent."

The works to Ryde Pier are part of a £10 million project by Isle of Wight Council as part of the government’s transforming cities fund to upgrade Ryde transport interchange.

Knights Brown worked to transform the historic pier, which was built in 1814, and worked through the night to complete the project.

Crews removed more than 350 tonnes of old steelwork, replacing them with new steel, and installed almost 3,000 decking boards (more than two kilometres of greenheart timber) and 1.5 km of decorative handrails.

READ MORE: Success for Wightlink at the Big Sustainability Awards