PEDESTRIANS who had to take a lengthy detour after a footbridge was washed away in floods are back on the right track.

Kenneth’s Bridge, over the River Wear, in Frosterley, County Durham, was swept away in a torrent of water in September last year.

Named after a Frosterley man who built it many years ago, the bridge carried a public footpath that was regularly used families and walkers visiting the Weardale Railway and Harehope Quarry nearby.

Because it was low, the bridge was vulnerable to high water levels.

It was regularly damaged by tree trunks and branches carried downstream by floods and the upstream riverbank was in danger of being washed away.

Durham County Council has spent £110,00 putting in a new wooden crossing and strengthening the eroded area with stone.

County councillor John Shuttleworth said: “They have done a tip top job which should keep the bridge open for generations.

“The bridge is a popular walking route for families and visitors and it has been missed by a lot of people.”