Eric Wright lifts 22-tonne footbridge onto Serpentine Lake at Preston's Moor Park

Eric Wright Civil Engineering has lifted a 22-tonne footbridge into place over Serpentine Lake in Moor Park, Preston, using a 500-tonne mobile crane, Preston City Council announced on 23 October.

The council said the lift took place on Saturday 17 October. The bridge is 28.5 metres long and 4.2 metres wide and was positioned by a Liebherr LTM1500-8.1 mobile crane, with teams from main contractor Eric Wright Civil Engineering and project manager FWP overseeing the operation.

Gavin Hulme, Managing Director for Eric Wright Civil Engineering, said: "As part of the wider programme of enhancements, the new bridge will help reinstate an important feature of the park."

The council describes Moor Park as Preston's oldest park. Its March 2026 works notice said the new crossing would be historically sympathetic to the original Victorian structure.

Councillor Connor Dwyer, Cabinet Member for Parks and Community Safety at Preston City Council, said: "Today's successful bridge lift is a testament to the team onsite and demonstrates the careful planning and collaboration which has underpinned this project."

The wider programme

The bridge is one element of the Moor Park Improvements programme. According to the council, the scope includes extending and de-silting Serpentine Lake to bring it closer to its original Victorian-era layout, improvements to the loggia and surrounding areas on the northern edge of the lake, new tree and shrub planting, and a full renovation of the changing pavilion.

Groundworks to create wildflower meadows, improvements to the south-east entrance and car park, refurbishment of original stonework at that entrance, and the remediation and reinstatement of football pitches complete the list.

The council said the rest of the park remains open and accessible while works continue.

Preston's Planning Committee approved the scheme in March 2025, when the council put the Moor Park programme at £4m. Moor Park is being delivered alongside a sister scheme at Waverley Park, which the council has budgeted at about £2.7m.

Scheme	Budget
Moor Park	£4m
Waverley Park	£2.7m

FWP, an architecture, design and masterplanning practice, said it was appointed to the team delivering the £6.7m revamp of the two parks. As well as project management, the firm acts as quantity surveyor and oversees CDM (Construction, Design and Management) services. Eric Wright Civil Engineering is lead contractor on both parks.

Funding

The Moor Park improvements are funded by the UK Government through a £20m Levelling Up award secured by Preston, Big Local and the Football Foundation, the council said. The Levelling Up Fund has since been consolidated into the Local Regeneration Fund.

Preston's bid was titled "Active Preston: Transforming our Community Infrastructure". According to the council, the £20m award formed part of almost £200m awarded to Lancashire from the £2.1bn second round of the fund. GOV.UK published the list of Round 2 successful bidders on 18 January 2023, with 111 areas sharing the £2.1bn.

Timeline

The council announced on 24 March 2026 that works at Moor Park would start in late March and be completed in winter 2026. By 13 May 2026 it reported that preparatory works had been completed the previous year and that the main construction phase was under way.

FWP has said work on the parks is set to continue until winter 2026.