Town's new £120m bridge opening delayed

Norfolk County Council originally said it hoped to have the Herring Bridge open by the summer

A new long-awaited road bridge in a port town will not open this month as originally planned.

Contractors said there were a number of outstanding issues that needed to be completed before the Herring Bridge in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk was fully operational.

The £120m structure will create a third crossing over the River Yare, linking the port area of the town with the A47.

No new date has been set on when the bridge may open to the public.

The discovery of a World War Two bomb held up construction by 'at least 10 days'

The construction of the bridge, which began in January 2021, faced a number of setbacks earlier this year.

In February, a 250kg (551lb) World War Two bomb was discovered by construction workers during dredging work.

It detonated a few days later when attempts to defuse it were being carried out. No-one was injured.

In July, Norfolk County Council announced that a potential vole burrow had been discovered nearby.

Voles are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

In the latest update to stakeholders, the bridge's construction contractors BFJV, who are working on behalf of the council said: "We are slightly behind where we wanted to be at this stage.

"Bringing a new bridge like this into operation is complex and we need to ensure all systems and processes are working correctly, and we are working with the port authority to complete this.

"Only once we enter the operational phase will we be in a position to provide the date for the full opening to all traffic."

Outstanding work includes resurfacing the new dual carriageway on William Adams Way, installing new message boards around Great Yarmouth and making final adjustments to the bridge.