Derby's London Road bridge to be demolished

Derby City Council said the Victorian bridge was "at the end of its design life"

Work has started to demolish a 135-year-old bridge after it was deemed unsafe.

The deteriorating London Road Bridge in Derby which connects the city's main railway line to Birmingham will be replaced with a new one costing £6.9m.

Work to remove the Victorian bridge, which was built in 1878, is expected to be finished by Boxing Day.

David Bartram, the city council's head of highways and engineering, said "it's certainly seen better days".

The council said the new metal bridge would be in place by August 2014

He said the bridge was designed in a different age.

"They would have expected the odd traction engine and horses pulling carts but not the volume of traffic we have today," he added.

Vehicle weight restrictions were imposed two years ago, with the bridge closed to traffic in August.

A new metal bridge is expected to be in place by autumn 2014.