Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing
It’s the biggest construction scheme currently underway in Great Yarmouth – and will transform how traffic gets about the town.
The £121m Third River Crossing is on track to open summer 2023.
The crossing over the River Yare will link the A47 at Harfrey’s roundabout to the port and the enterprise zone on the other side of the river.
Council leaders have said the new lifting bridge will ease traffic congestion on the town’s roads, shortening journey times and improving journey reliability.
And they say it will also help to maximise investment, regeneration and economic growth opportunities in the town and across the borough.
The Department of Transport has awarded £98m towards the cost of the crossing, with Norfolk County Council covering the rest of the cost.
Construction on the bridge started in January 2021, with a number of terraced homes on Queen Anne’s Road and Southtown Road being demolished so the project could go ahead.
Building the bridge has already brought a huge boost to the town’s economy.
Lead contractor BAM Farrans Joint Venture estimates that more than £8m has already been spent directly within the local economy.
And more than 50 full-time positions have been provided to local people.
Tony Mulholland, project director at BAM Farrans said: “The project continues to progress on time and within budget and we are extremely grateful to the local community for their continued patience and support”
“The new bridge will make a massive difference to people’s daily lives and benefits are already being felt through the creation of local jobs and many training and learning opportunities.”
The bridge itself will stand about seven metres tall and is being built in two halves in Belgium.
It was floated over by barge and installing it will mean completely closing the river to traffic for 72 hours and timing the operation almost to the second.
The twin-leaf bascule bridge will open in the middle to let taller river traffic through which was favoured above the idea of a tunnel under the River Yare was rejected as it would have been more expensive.
Dan Grimmer – Great Yarmouth Mercury
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