A new £17.5 million road bridge over the A1 near Grantham in Lincolnshire which will form part a key part of the town’s £102m Southern Relief Road is near to completion.

The first set of 16 bridge beams were lifted into place over the west side of the A1 using a 250-tonne crane overnight earlier this week. Construction of the bridge deck that will sit on top of them will begin next.

Councillor Richard Davies, Executive Member for Highways and Transport, said: “This is a big milestone for the relief road, since it signifies the progress we’re making on one of the most complicated parts of the project. Now that all sixteen of these beams are in place on the western side, Galliford Try will make a start building the first half of the bridge deck over top of them.

“Once the team has finished the first half of the new A1 bridge, traffic will be diverted onto it as work on the eastern side begins – including lifting thirteen more beams into place.”