Linton bridge gets £4.5m repair work approved

The permanent repairs are to cost £4.5m, said Leeds City Council

Multimillion-pound repairs to a flood-hit bridge have been approved by senior councillors.

Linton Bridge, over the River Wharfe in West Yorkshire, was damaged in the Christmas floods.

Emergency work has been undertaken but the cracked bridge between Linton and Collingham remains at risk of collapse, said Leeds City Council.

Work, which will cost £4.5m, is to start in July to put in place a river platform to work on the foundations.

Parts of the bridge dropped about 8in (20cm) after the floodwater undermined its foundations.

It has been shut since 27 December and the permanent repair works are expected to be completed by the summer of 2017.

More than 100 bridges were damaged by floods in West Yorkshire and a bridge partially collapsed in Tadcaster in North Yorkshire.

The bridge was damaged in floods during December

Councillor Richard Lewis said: "I think everyone now realises the challenge of repairing Linton Bridge is considerable and requires detailed and complex work, so is not something that can be done quickly."

The meeting also decided not to put a temporary footbridge in place due to cost and environmental impact.

A free shuttle bus service has been operating between Linton and Wetherby since January.