Work on long-awaited £121m bridge in 'final stages'

The Herring Bridge will be Great Yarmouth's third river crossing

The construction of a £121m road bridge has entered its "final stages", contractors have said.

The Herring Bridge at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk was due to open in September but is now expected to open in the New Year.

The project faced delays earlier this year following an unplanned detonation of a World War Two bomb and a potential vole burrow found nearby.

The bridge is set to allow river traffic through from 07:00 GMT on Monday.

Norfolk County Council said the delay would not lead to any additional costs

Graham Plant, Norfolk County Council's cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and transport said: "This is fantastic news for the project.

"Like most people in Great Yarmouth, I want to see the works completed and Herring Bridge open to everyone as soon as possible and hopefully now it won't be long until we are able to start using it."

The council said outstanding work included finishing the bridge deck and the full commissioning of the lifting structure.

Tony Mulholland, project director for contractors BAM Farrans Joint Venture, said: "We would like to thank the public for their continued patience and support.

"Our team has worked closely with Norfolk County Council and the port authority to bring the bridge into operation for river traffic and will provide further details on the likely date of the full opening in the New Year."

Construction of the bridge began in January 2021.