A third river crossing at Great Yarmouth will take a step forward next week as councillors will be asked to approve a bid for £965,000 from the Department for Transport (DfT) for the scheme.

Senior Norfolk County Council and Great Yarmouth Borough Council members met this week and reconfirmed their support to push ahead with the £140m project which will make a direct link into the town from the south. It will provide a link between the trunk road network and the expanding port and South Denes Enterprise Zone sites.

On Friday, May 20, councillors on Norfolk County Council's Environment, Development and Transport Committee are expected to approve the submission of a £965,000 bid to the DfT seeking funding for the scheme's development. The money would be used to take the project forward to the stage where the Government would be able to confirm if they are willing to support further funding.

It is expected that final approval and further funding from the DfT could come in four years' time with an estimated start date for work being in 2021.

Cllr Martin Wilby, the newly elected Chairman of the Environment, Development and Transport Committee, who met Cllr Graham Plant of the borough council this week, said: 'This is an issue that unites councillors of all political parties as the third river crossing would be a huge benefit for Yarmouth, Norfolk and nationally bringing prosperity and reducing journey times and congestion in the town.'

It is estimated the new bridge would cost approximately £140m to construct.

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