HERE is the first view of the red and white, rugby ball-inspired bridge which will carry Saints fans to the eagerly-awaited new stadium.

Work is soon to start on the bridge linking the town centre with the new £24m ground.

The pedestrian and cycle bridge will cross Linkway East connecting existing Ravenhead Greenway pedestrian routes to the 18,000-capacity stadium and the Tesco development on the former United Glass site.

A landmark feature will be a looped steel arch stretching from bank to bank. Its futuristic design will have 16 steel hangers along either side. The red and white materials will echo Saints’ traditional club colours and its shape reflects that of a rugby ball.

The bridge will also carry concealed long-life low energy lighting.

Planners envisage that most match day parking will be in existing town centre car parks and the bridge is viewed as a key link in moving fans straight into the stadium.

Councillor Andy Bowden, Cabinet Member for Urban Regeneration and Housing at the council said: “This is an exciting next step in the delivery of the Saints’ stadium in what will be an eyecatching design to complement the new development on the former glass site.”

Within the new stadium, a 3,000 sq ft community facility will be housed to create community youth opportunities.

The stadium will also be home to a range of corporate hospitality facilities, meeting rooms and conference space which will provide new revenue-generating streams for the club.

The stadium is the centrepiece of the regeneration of the site which was previously home to United Glass and will ultimately deliver around 1,400 new employment opportunities.

The project also includes a 140,000 sq ft Tesco Extra store.