Construction of the new 135m long footbridge connecting the office location with Chiswick Park station reached a new phase this week, with the installation of its four giant V-shaped steel legs, weighing up to eight tons each.

The installation is the second phase of construction. The first phase involving ground works was recently finished. The work brings closer the delivery of faster travel benefits for companies based at the 13-hectare campus and the 9,000 people who work there.

It is understood that Blackstone is paying for construction of the bridge, which is due to open in December 2018. 

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Travel time
The bridge will provide a rapid new access point to the Chiswick Park campus, by reducing walking time from Chiswick Park tube station to just 4 minutes. It will also improve the campus’s connection to the wider transport network and to the Elizabeth Line of Crossrail at Ealing Broadway. The Crossrail service is also to open in December 2018.

The bridge and Crossrail together will unlock a 12-minute door-to-door travel time, including the 4-minute walk, on London Underground from Chiswick Park to Ealing Broadway, which in turn will allow an estimated 23-minute door-to-door journey from Chiswick Park to Bond Street and just 30 minutes to Liverpool Street, according to journey times were obtained from Transport for London.

In addition, the bridge will benefit rail travellers and local residents by easing congestion at Gunnersbury station – the station closest to the campus – by allowing people to use either spur of the district line.

Graham White, chief executive of Chiswick Park, said: 'Chiswick Park is a much sought-after business location, and we’re already served by two underground stations and easy access to the strategic road network. With the bridge, we will now also benefit from even faster access to the local transport network, and to shops and restaurants along Chiswick High Road.'

New leases
Chiswick Park has also announced that technology-led companies, Beond and Allmed, have signed leases, both for 2,500 square feet (232 m2). 

Beond is an energy consultancy for the UK corporate sector, while Allmed produces renal healthcare products for health services worldwide.

The two British firms are among a growing number of fast-growing small-to-medium enterprise (SME) firms looking for space at the campus, according to the managers of Chiswick Park. The SME contingent comes on top of the 65 blue-chip tenants, including Aker Solutions, Discovery, Ericsson, PepsiCo, Singapore Airlines, Starbucks, QVC, and Walt Disney. 

Chiswick Park launched the Your Space initiative in November 2017 in response to growing numbers of enquiries from SMEs. Your Space offers a white label fully-wired and furnished office of 60 to 122 desks. It can be used as a single office of 13,864 sq ft or divided into two fully independent work spaces of 6,448 and 7,319 sq ft. Your Space is located on the third floor of B7, the newest building at Chiswick Park.