WORK on an eye-catching footbridge that will link St Helens town centre with Saints’ new £24 million stadium is due to begin in May.

The red and white, rugby ball-inspired bridge will cross the St Helens Linkway to provide a walking and cycling route to the stadium site.

It will cross Linkway East connecting existing Ravenhead Greenway pedestrian routes to the former United Glass site at Peasley Cross, where a giant Tesco Extra supermarket is also being constructed.

The plan is for supporters who drive on match days to use existing town centre car parks and the bridge is viewed by St Helens Council as a key link in moving those fans straight to the stadium.

A landmark feature of the bridge will be a looped steel arch stretching from bank to bank and its design will have 16 steel hangers along either side.

The design includes red and white materials, echoing Saints’ traditional colours, and its shape reflects that of a rugby ball.

The bridge should represent the final piece in the jigsaw of the significant infrastructure works to provide access to the Destination St Helens development, which will have the stadium as its centrepiece.

Other works are ongoing, with contractors are also constructing a three-metre wide walking route and cycleway on the south side of Linkway East It will run the full length of the road from the pedestrian crossing opposite the KFC restaurant, to join a similar footway on St Helens Linkway.

As the Star has reported, construction of the new stadium is gathering pace and, from the Ravenhead Retail Park, onlookers can see its steel structure rising.