Walter’s Walkway is back over the Derwent, reconnecting the communities at Darley Village and Darley Abbey Mills.
Four months ahead of schedule, contractors Cawarden lifted the bridge with a 470-tonne crane; an impressive feat of engineering in a difficult riverside environment.
The Walkway is expected to reopen to the public in mid-November, following the installation of new ramps and the completion of safety checks.
The prefabricated bridge was initially closed in December 2025 due to safety concerns with the 1930s bridge structure below.
Demolition of this structure, and the reinstatement of Walter’s Walkway was due to be complete by February 2027, however, the Council, with support from the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) have acted quickly to get the bridge removed well ahead of schedule.
In July 2026, the walkway was lifted from the river entirely, to allow for the complete demolition of the original bridge.
Reinforcement of the riverbank followed, with new sheet piles being installed and the space filled in behind. This work also included new concrete abutments, providing a sturdy foundation for Walter’s Walkway.
Councillor Carmel Swan, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Transport and Sustainability and a Darley Ward councillor, attended the bridge lift and welcomed the restoration of this important community connection:
My thanks to the teams at the Council and Cawarden for their hard work in returning the bridge safely and well ahead of schedule.
This is a huge moment for Darley. The communities at the Mills and in the Village have been cut off for several months and I’m delighted that the bridge is now in place. I look forward to it fully reopening in the coming weeks.
Thank you to everyone for your patience throughout this complex situation. With Walter’s Walkway back in place, we can now focus on delivering a new permanent bridge for Darley Abbey.
The urgent demolition work has been supported by funding from the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA). Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward said:
Walter’s Walkway is an important connection in Darley Abbey, so it’s great to see it back in place four months ahead of schedule.
I know how frustrating the closure has been for local people. We’ve helped fund the urgent work to get the walkway back in place, as well as supporting plans for a new permanent bridge.
It’s a good example of what we can achieve when EMCCA and the Council work together, with local knowledge and regional funding helping to get things moving. I’m pleased we’ve been able to support Darley Abbey through this and help get this connection restored.
Since the closure of the original bridge due to safety concerns in May 2022, the Council has been diligently working to restore permanent access to the Mills complex.
A strategic outline business case was published in February, which identified a viable solution with that would see a new structure built offering full-time access for active travel and emergency access for motor vehicles.