Progress continuing on £145m Gull Wing bridge in Lowestoft

Tests on the £145m Gull Wing bridge in Lowestoft have seen the final bascule span of the town's long-awaited third crossing successfully open and close in the past couple of weeks.

And as the project continues, work is progressing in what Simon Bretherton, project director at Suffolk County Council, described as the "final commissioning" stage - to ensure that bridge safety and control systems have been installed and tested.

Simon Bretherton, Project Director at Suffolk County Council. Picture: Mick Howes (Image: Mick Howes)

Works involving "the installation and testing of the bridge safety and control systems, operator training and completion of highways works and landscaping" is now ongoing.

Leading building and civil engineering contractor Farrans Construction is continuing to oversee work on the bridge on behalf of Suffolk County Council.

A council spokesman said: "The commissioning and testing work continues to progress on the opening bascule section. Tarmac is now starting to be laid on the southern approach of the crossing."

As the commissioning and testing work continues to progress on the opening bascule section, Tarmac is now starting to be laid on the southern approach of the crossing for the Gull Wing Bridge in Lowestoft. Picture: Gull Wing Bridge (Image: Gull Wing Bridge)

The bridge will be the largest rolling bascule bridge in the world lifted using hydraulic cylinders, according to the council.