Lowestoft's Lake Lothing to close for three weeks in January

According to Suffolk County Council, the bascule will take approximately 116 seconds to raise and 106 seconds to lower

A waterway will be closed off for three weeks to allow for the construction of the moving mechanism of a new bridge.

Lake Lothing, in Lowestoft, Suffolk, will close in January while the main bascule span of the new Gull Wing bridge is installed.

Suffolk County Council has issued advance notice of the procedure to the harbour authority and maritime users.

The Gull Wing Bridge, which is costing £145m, should be complete by 2024.

The building of the bascule span will be the "most complex and major element" of what the council called a "unique and challenging project".

It will mean the closure of the waterway for three weeks from 22 January, subject to final preparations.

Gull Wing Bridge will be the third crossing over Lake Lothing, Lowestoft

A statement from the council said the works during the channel closure were "critical to enabling the Gull Wing bridge to be operational."

It said there would be further periods of "reliability testing" and "staff training" following the closure, "before the bridge can be safely opened to the public later in the year".

Following its approval in 2015, construction of the Gull Wing Bridge began in March 2021, with the aim to reduce congestion in and around the town.

Council leader, Matthew Hicks, said the bridge was nationally important

The leader of Suffolk County Council, conservative Matthew Hicks, said advance notice of the closure was "another significant milestone in the delivery of the Gull Wing", adding that it would "deliver huge benefits to residents and businesses in Lowestoft by reducing traffic congestion and providing a catalyst for regeneration."

He said: "The arrival of the bascule bridge by sea and its installation will be the biggest sign yet that this long-awaited scheme is becoming reality."

The bascule span will arrive from the Netherlands and enter Lake Lothing through the existing bascule bridge, before being rotated and positioned into place.

Tom Duit, operations managers for harbour authority Associated British Ports (ABP), said: "We are grateful for the cooperation and patience of all port users as we make this exciting step towards a more connected future for Lowestoft."