Cumbria County Council is pleased to announce people should be able to walk across the new bridge at Pooley Bridge for the first time this weekend, as works continue apace to complete the iconic structure.
The new multi-million pound bridge is scheduled to open to pedestrians only from Saturday 12 September, giving people their first opportunity to set foot on the new structure.
Cumbria County Council is delivering the stainless steel road bridge, the first of its kind in the country, which is on schedule to open to traffic in late October 2020.
A temporary footbridge, which has provided pedestrian access across the river during the bridge construction, was successfully lifted out on Thursday 10 September. A timelapse video showing the lift can be watched here: https://youtu.be/MniUkjxq40g and images of the lift can be downloaded from links below.
Cllr Keith Little, Cumbria County Council Cabinet member for Highways and Transport, said: “Removing the temporary footbridge, which has provided a vital link across the river for the local community and visitors, marks another big milestone in this exciting project.
“The county council expects that people will be able to walk across the bridge for the first time from this Saturday and see for themselves what this fantastic new structure looks like. Our main contractor Eric Wright Civil Engineering is working hard to complete this important project which will restore connectivity in the Ullswater area. We’re aiming to open the new bridge to traffic later next month ahead of the school half term holiday.”