A GIANT crane lowered a new bridge into place in Durham yesterday.
The 100-tonne machine placed the £450,000 footbridge on to its piers, providing a safe crossing over the busy A690 in the city centre.
The 35-metre span steel bridge, for pedestrians and cyclists, links Castle Chare with the railway station and the new residential development at Highgate.
The sandy nature of the soil meant that construction workers had to drive 60 piles up to 11 metres into the ground to support the structure.
The road was scheduled to be closed between the Milburngate and North Road roundabouts throughout the 26-hour long operation, which was due to finish at 5am this morning.
With the bridge in place, Durham County Council will this week start landscaping and street light improvements in Castle Chare.
It is the second new footbridge built in the city in 18 months.
In February last year, another opened linking Framwellgate Waterside and The Sands car park at Freeman's Place.
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