Mr Wride has experience designing bridges, although he now spends much of his time working as a sculptor in his garden studio. Instead, Mr Wride is advocating a new steel bridge with a possible lifespan of at least 120 years. The existing bridge was built using deep laminated-timber arches extending from both banks and cantilevering over steel piers in the river. Mr Wride said this would create gentler gradients for walkers while still providing approximately 4.5 metres of clearance above the river. Mr Wride believes giving the replacement bridge a strong visual identity could also help attract the private funding needed to turn it into a reality.