A MAJOR new tourist attraction in the form of a suspension bridge across the River Tees came another step closer to reality this week.

The idea for a £500,000 pedestrian steel rope bridge, crossing the river at the old railway viaduct near Barnard Castle, is the brainchild of Chris Dauber, secretary of Teesdale Marketing, who first mooted the idea a year ago.

The non-profit making distribution company, which was formed five years ago to promote the dale and encourage economic prosperity, then asked David McKnight, project manager of the Market Towns Initiative, to consider the idea.

This was part of a consultation process aimed at determining what kind of facilities and attractions are needed to ensure that Teesdale has a viable and sustainable future as a tourist centre and for residents, while also making them attractive to funders.

The idea of a bridge, along the lines of the famous Capilano suspension bridge in Vancouver, Canada, has already been deemed technically feasible by experts from Cleveland Bridge in Darlington.

Now grants have been awarded for the completion of a robust feasibility study, said Teesdale Marketing chairman Bill Oldfield on Wednesday.

"The study will deal with the economic impact such an attraction might have on Teesdale and the surrounding area," added Mr Oldfield, who will be part of a team presenting the latest news on the bridge plans to an invited audience at the Bowes Museum later today, which will be reported fully in next week's D&S Times