THE finishing touches are being put to the £1.3m Millennium footbridge over the River Tees.

Work began on the bridge, in Stockton, in March and is due to be finished at Christmas.

The Tees Quay will link the thriving Teesdale development, on the south bank of the river, to Stockton town centre via the Castlegate Centre.

The bridge has being paid for by Stockton Borough Council with assistance from the European Development Fund, English Partnerships and One NorthEast's Single Regeneration Budget.

The final piece was lifted into place last month, and now the work is being completed.

Councillor Barry Bellerby, cabinet member for regeneration and development, said: "This bridge will bring so many benefits to the town and those who live and work there.

"It will also mean people can travel to and from Teesdale without having to use a car, an added benefit as the council tries to alleviate traffic congestion across the borough, reduce exhaust pollution and encourage people to use buses even more."

The bridge has been built to complement other recent regeneration projects carried out on both banks of the river, including disabled access and lighting.