Poole Bridge reopening further delayed

The lifting bridge first opened in 1927

Repair work to a lifting bridge will be completed in December - six months behind schedule, a council has said.

Poole Bridge closed in September 2016 for a maintenance and refurbishment programme costing more than £4.2m.

The crossing, linking the town centre to the port and ferry terminal, had been expected to reopen in June.

Poole Borough Council, which operates the 90-year-old bridge, said the latest delay was due to issues with the supply of "key components".

It said the bridge would reopen on 15 December.

Work on the bridge started in September 2016

Previously the authority said the work would be completed in October.

It blamed earlier delays on the discovery of live cables as well as the buried remains of previous bridges and an old quay wall.

Julian McLaughlin, head of infrastructure, said: "The delay over recent months has been unavoidable and the contractor has had to overcome several unforeseen and challenging issues."

The work has involved replacing the road spans as well as widening the footways.

Vehicles and pedestrians have been able to use the nearby Twin Sails Bridge, which opened in 2012.