Opening of £121m bridge is the 'icing on the cake'

The Herring Bridge is the third river crossing in Great Yarmouth

A £121m river crossing has officially opened following numerous setbacks and delays.

The Herring Bridge is Great Yarmouth's third river crossing and connects road users from the east Norfolk port to the A47.

Work began on the bridge in January 2020 and it was meant to open in September 2023, but was delayed after a World War Two bomb was discovered, and a potential burrow of voles were found near the site.

Brandon Lewis, Conservative MP for Great Yarmouth, said: "We've delivered something genuinely iconic and game changing for Great Yarmouth."

The bridge will open for road users on Thursday afternoon

A convoy of traffic - and more than 200 schoolchildren on foot - waited in anticipation on Thursday to see the bridge open.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council said the bridge opened to pedestrians at 11:45 GMT and would open for traffic at 15:00.

• What will the Herring Bridge river crossing mean for Great Yarmouth?

The new crossing connects Harfrey's roundabout (A47) in the Southtown area of the town, west of the River Yare, to the peninsula of Great Yarmouth on the east side at South Denes Road (A1243).

Genna Brown was at the Haven Bridge when it opened in 1933

Genna Brown attended the opening of the new bridge. She was a schoolgirl when the nearby Haven Bridge opened in 1933.

The 105-year-old said: "I never thought there would be so many people here because the Haven Bridge was all those years ago... I was at school and we were all lined up and crowds of people and the then Prince of Wales opened it."

Graham Plant, cabinet member for travel, transport and infrastructure at Norfolk County Council, said he had been looking forward to this day for "so long".

He said work on surrounding roads - including the A47 - was ongoing, and the bridge would "kick off growth" in the area and make it appealing to businesses.

'Icing on the cake'

Great Yarmouth MP Brandon Lewis said the opening of the bridge was a "really iconic, clear, big statement of intent and investment" locally

MP Mr Lewis added: "There is a really iconic, clear, big statement of intent and investment - and its also going to have a big economic impact.

"It's going to make it easier for people to get around. That's good for business and that means more investment in the town, more jobs and more money locally.

"We've delivered something genuinely iconic and game-changing for Great Yarmouth.

"This is the icing on the cake."