Work starts on installing delayed road bridge

Work has started on installing a 960ft (293m) long road bridge as part of the £160m Grantham Southern Relief Road.

A previous attempt in February 2025 was postponed when a design fault led to concerns strong winds could cause it to move out of alignment while being put into place.

The one-year delay is estimated to have cost £20m, but Lincolnshire County Council said it planned to recoup the money.

Now the bridge is being pushed into place over the the River Witham and the East Coast Main Line.

Councillor David East, executive member for highways, described the bridge installation as a "huge milestone for the project".

"It means we're now approximately two years away from fully opening the new road," he said.

"Ninety per cent of the relief road is already built, and this bridge is the missing link. Getting it into place over the rail line is a very complex operation that requires absolute precision, which is why detailed plans are essential."

The bridge weighs approximately 2,500 tonnes and is made of composite steel and a reinforced concrete deck.

The relief road will run for 2.1 miles (3.5km) around the south of the town, linking the A1 to the A52.

Listen to highlights fromLincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch thelatest episode of Look Northor tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.

Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices