Dozens of people have had the chance to go behind the scenes of a major infrastructure project set to boost Lowestoft's economy.
The latest progress in the construction of the £126.75m Gull Wing bridge in Lowestoft was showcased as locals were able to see the scale of the development during a special open day.
With the long awaited third crossing set to transform how traffic moves around the town, when the bridge opens in 2024 it will provide an essential link from Waveney Drive (south) to Denmark Road and Peto Way (north) of Lake Lothing in Lowestoft.
As leading building and civil engineering contractor Farrans Construction oversees construction works on the Gull Wing, on behalf of Suffolk County Council, a 'Public Site Open Day and Tour' featured three sessions on Saturday, October 21.
With a presentation on the works taking place around the project as well as a brief history, this was followed by a walking tour around the Southern side of the site.
The tour was held a day after "another significant milestone" was achieved.
Parts of three busy roads - on Denmark Road, Peto Way and the southern end of Rotterdam Road - reopened for the first time in seven months after being temporarily closed in March.
A Gull Wing spokesman said: "The completion of the new road layout is another significant milestone towards the delivery of the Gull Wing Bridge for the residents of Lowestoft."
It also came after the announcement that the main, final bascule bridge span will arrive in January - meaning that Lake Lothing’s navigation channel will be closed to marine traffic for three weeks in the new year.
Pleased with how the tour had gone, Simon Bretherton, Suffolk County Council project director, said: "The open day has been really great to do.
"It is a good opportunity for us to share with local people what we have been doing here for the last three years and we are excited to tell everybody about it.
"The reaction from people is generally that they are really interested and excited and can’t wait for the opening of the bridge.
"I can tell from conversations with people how much they are looking forward to and want this bridge to benefit their lives.
"This is a major infrastructure project and there is always going to be challenges - but by the end of January next year we will have the main Gull Wing section arriving in Lowestoft from Ghent and obviously we are all looking forward to that."
Background facts
With the current Bascule Bridge opened in 1972, in 2016 former prime minister David Cameron visited Lowestoft to announce that the government had committed £70 million to a third crossing bridge.
The Gull Wing bridge is an eight-span viaduct.
It has two roundabouts and 3.5-metre-wide cycle and pedestrian facilities on either side connecting to the existing network.
The opening section is a single leaf rolling bascule and is an unusual design and there is not believed to be another in the northern hemisphere - with the other being in New Zealand.
The completed bridge will be 345 metres in length.
The main bascule span across the navigation channel will leave a gap of 32m for marine traffic.
It will take approximately 116 seconds to raise and 106 seconds to lower.
It is higher than the bascule bridge with a clearance of 12m above high water meaning it should not need to be opened to vessels as often – as smaller vessels can pass underneath.
With 35,000 tons of steel in the viaduct, the Bascule weight is 1000 tons.
In total 20,000 cubic metres of concrete will be used, with 1,300 piles in the ground.
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