Keel Crossing

Keel Crossing is a pedestrian and cycle footbridge in Sunderland that first opened temporarily (for one day) on 22 August 2025 for the opening match of the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup, opening permanently on 18 October 2025. It spans the River Wear, linking Keel Square in the city centre to the Sheepfolds neighbourhood on the north bank, near the Stadium of Light. The footbridge is part of the £500,000,000 Riverside Sunderland regeneration scheme and is intended to improve connectivity across the river, especially on Sunderland A.F.C. match days, by providing an alternative crossing to the Wearmouth Bridge. The bridge has a total span of about 260 metres (850 ft), stands roughly 30 metres (98 ft) above the river, and has a deck width of 10 metres (33 ft). The project cost is about £31,000,000. The bridge's official name, Keel Crossing, given on 11 June 2025, honours Sunderland’s shipbuilding heritage (the “keel” being the backbone of a ship).