Designs for a new bicycle bridge across the River Thames in London unveiled to the public

Four designs are currently shortlisted for the bridge, which will link Pimlico and Nine Elms

One of Ove Arup & Partners' designs for the bicycle bridge (Ove Arup & Partners/PA)

Designs for a sleek new bicycle bridge across the River Thames have been revealed, which could be the first bridge in a major British city centre to specifically cater to the needs of both cyclists and pedestrians.

Four proposals for the innovative bridge, which could link Pimlico with Nine Elms in South West London, have been shortlisted from 74 entries which were submitted in March.

The design instructions specified that the bridge must be tall enough to allow large boats to pass below, not too steep for pedestrians and cyclists to climb, and must allow easy movement of both groups at peak times.

The entries currently in the running feature snaking spiral walkways, tall suspension towers and modern, minimalist looks.

Another view of one of Ove Arup & Partners' shortlisted designs (Ove Arup & Partners/PA)

The design competition was launched by Wandsworth Council, who have earmarked £25 million for the ambitious project.

It's not clear yet whether the bridge will actually see the light of day, but if it does, it will nestle in between Vauxhall Bridge and Chelsea Bridge, both of which are typically very busy during rush hour, and were built with cars and buses in mind.

Another design for the proposed bridge, by Bystrup Architecture Design and Engineering (Bystrup Architecture Design and Engineering/PA)

The teams in the running to win the competition are British firm Buro Happold, Danish company Bystrup Architecture Design and Engineering, and Ove Arup & Partners, which has two designs on the shortlist.

It's hoped that the bridge will provide a much-needed extra river crossing that will cater to the growth in Nine Elms, a previously industrial area that is currently a hotspot for development.

Another of the four shortlisted designs, from British company Buro Happold (Buro Happold/PA)

The leader of Wandsworth Council, Ravi Govindia, called the designs "very exciting and quite spectacular" said that they "have given us real hope that a solution can be found to the complex challenges involved in creating new pedestrian and cycle link across this stretch of the river."

Londoners have been invited to comment on the designs, and feedback will be considered by the competition panel before a winner is named later this year.