WORK to build a new bridge over the A1 at Catterick, involving a 300 tonne crane lifting 32 concrete and steel beams, has been postponed.

The Highways Agency said the work would be "a significant milestone" in the scheme to upgrade the A1 to motorway standard between Leeming and Barton, in North Yorkshire, but said bad weather had forced project managers to delay lifting the structure into place.

The 57 tonne beams, which are 24 metres long, had been due to be lifted into place near Catterick yesterday (Thursday, November 28) and today (Friday, November 28).

An agency spokesman said: "We will advise drivers of our revised timings once we have rescheduled the work.

“Although there will be no disruption to road users we are aware that the works’ visibility from the road could be a distraction to some drivers.

"So we would ask them to take extra care and to concentrate on the road ahead during these works.”

When the scheme opens to traffic in 2016/17, journey times between Leeming and Barton are expected to be cut by 20 per cent, and over a sixty-year period, the improvements are predicted to save around 20 lives and prevent around 450 serious accidents.