A LONG-awaited link road beset by delays has taken a big step towards completion with the central span of a railway crossing bridge being lowered into place.

The £12million Northallerton rail bridge and link road was first approved in 2015 but has been hit by multiple delays, with the initial planned opening date of spring 2019 being long gone.

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The road is now due to open early next year and will provide a new link between the A167 Darlington Road and A684 Stokesley Road with the bridge crossing the Northallerton to Middlesbrough railway line.

This month, contractors Eric Wright Civil Engineering, worked through the night to put the steel work for the bridge into place – with the western section completed the following day.

Greg Brett, senior project manager at Eric Wright, said: “The installation had been carefully planned for over 12-months.

"It presented a specific technical challenge, not least due to its proximity to the live railway and dependency on wind speeds not exceeding 12mph.

“Bridge beams 110 metres long and weighing 350 tons were successfully lifted into place with the 1,000 ton crane.

"Eric Wright Civil Engineering would like to thank NYCC and Network Rail for their help and co-operation in achieving this important milestone.

"Now all beams have been successfully placed we are looking forward to completing the full bridge construction.”

Councillor Mark Robson, Leader of Hambleton District Council: “The bridge going into place is a massive step forward for this scheme.

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"The North Northallerton Link Road is a key piece of infrastructure that has enabled housing demand and employment growth in the town to be delivered.

"The bridge will add vital capacity to the road network to ensure this is achieved without the development causing traffic issues in the town.”

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, described the bridge work as 'a very significant milestone in this important development'.

He added: "All of the bridge deck beams are now in place and the deck construction has started.

"We have worked very closely with the developers to deliver this key road link for the town.”

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