Canal bridge in Stroud officially opened

A £300,000 bridge across a 0.4km (0.25 mile) stretch of canal in Gloucestershire has been opened.

The new swing bridge, which links Chestnut Lane in Stroud with Wicliffe Industrial Estate, is part of the regeneration of the Cotswold Canals.

For the past six months Chestnut Lane has been closed, forcing businesses south of the canal to take a diversion.

Councillor Roger Sanders said: "In the next four or five years as the canal opens up it will be used considerably."

The electro-mechanically operated swing bridge is part of the ongoing restoration of the Cotswold Canals.

Designed to look like the original manually-operated bridge, it is also capable of carrying a 44-tonne vehicle.

The Cotswolds Canals Restoration Project aims to reconnect the River Severn with the River Thames.