PLANS for a new £9.4m three-lane lifting bridge at Middlesbrough have been unveiled.

A planning application for the bridge and road improvements at the Middlehaven Dock site near the Riverside football stadium were submitted to Middlesbrough Borough Council this week.

The scheme represents the next major phase in the regeneration of Middlehaven, and will provide vital access to the site to the north of the football stadium where a new £30m snow centre is also planned.

A total of £2.5m of the money will come the council and the rest will come from external sources, believed to include the Government’s Local Growth Fund.

The bridge will create a new road route via Shepherdson Way, taking motorists, cyclists and pedestrians from the A66 across the dock and past Anish Kapoor’s famous Temenos sculpture.

The new crossing will replace the existing footbridge which was installed following the removal of an earlier swing bridge by the now defunct Teesside Development Corporation.

The plans were drawn up by leading civil engineers Balfour Beatty and Arup are designed to boost existing Middlehaven enterprises and play a role in supporting proposals such as the snow centre on the north side of the dock.

The development will also create further opportunities for the regeneration of the dock as a marina and centre for water sports and leisure use.

Cllr Charlie Rooney, Middlesbrough council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, said: “Middlehaven has really started to gather momentum in the last few years, and we’re now seeing the sort of proposals that will take it on to the next level.It’s one of the region’s most important regeneration areas, so it’s vital that we invest in it to help Middlesbrough’s development as the city heart of the Tees Valley.

“This bridge and the associated highways and other improvements will help to unlock the area’s huge potential, and pave the way for further growth.”

The proposals replace pervious plans for a £4.5m swing bridge at the site. Work could begin in January if the plan is approved.

Plans for the new bridge will considered at a meeting of Middlesbrough Council’s Planning and Development Committee on Friday, September 9.