Last month Cumbria County Council's cabinet approved Birse Civils, part of the Balfour Beatty Group, as the preferred contractor to build the new bridge. Now that the government has formally confirmed that the funding will go ahead, the county council can finalise the necessary legal arrangements with landowners and formally award the contract.
The Department for Transport has confirmed it will provide US$18 million towards the new permanent road vehicle bridge to replace the collapsed Northside Bridge, which was lost in November 2009 floods.
The construction programme is scheduled to take 45 weeks and the new bridge will span 152m over the river. The new steel bridge beams will be positioned into place around five months into the project. The structure is supported on concrete piers and will be clad in sandstone, similar to that used on the original bridge. Where possible reclaimed stone from the original structure will be used.
The replacement crossing will replace the current temporary two-way traffic bridge and will provide a permanent structure to complete the reconnection of the vital highway link across the River Derwent. "When I visited Cumbria earlier this year, I saw first hand the devastation that the November 2009 floods caused to the area," said local transport minister Norman Baker. "I also saw the progress which has been made in ensuring that Cumbria’s transport infrastructure is replaced. I was very impressed by the commitment shown by everyone involved."
