Cardiff Council has said that the prospect of a bridge linking Cardiff Bay and Penarth moved a step closer this week following an agreement which could see national grants being used to deliver the crossing. The council has been working with sustainable transport charity Sustrans to identify funding to pay for a bridge over the Ely River in south Wales. Some funding could come from a Sustrans project which is competing for a lottery grant. The 140m-long pedestrian and cycle bridge, costing approximately US$7 million, would be able to open for river traffic. The Harbour Authority is putting together a business case for the Welsh Assembly Government to obtain money for a site investigation and to progress the design.