Winds delay crane lift to finish new footbridge

Construction of the bridge began in October and was estimated by the county council to cost about £16m

Efforts to lift the final section of a footbridge into place have been delayed over safety concerns.

The remaining piece of the £16m Kepax bridge was due to be lifted into place over the River Severn in Worcester on Wednesday but windy conditions put a halt to work.

The scheme to construct the new walking and cycling bridge had seen two cranes arrive to install the remaining section of the bridge.

Jon Fraser, from the county council, said: "Anything over 20mph is too unsafe to lift, it's a big piece of metal and you don't want that dangerously swinging around in the wind."

"Safety is the most important thing and the crew that are lifting are a little concerned about the gusts of wind at the moment."

Construction of the bridge began in October and was estimated by the authority to cost almost £16m.

Since work began, the project had faced many hurdles, project manager Mark Mills said.

"It has had its difficulties, mainly with working on a major flood plain, the River Severn, it has affected work during the winter time, we've had various flood events," he added.

The county council said the team at the bridge planned to put the final bridge section in place on Thursday morning.

Jon Fraser said despite the delays he was excited to see it finished.

"It's another fantastic opportunity to get around the city, a great addition to cycling and walking," he added.