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MP brands bridge repair delays a 'total fiasco'

Lara KingEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
BBC A bridge spans a wide river under a blue sky. It is seen sideways-on from the bank and is made of dark iron and steel. Much of the bridge is low and sits just above the river, but on the left side an elaborate rolling lift structure is higher. Scaffolding and white canvas covers part of the bridge.BBC
Corporation Bridge will remain closed for some time yet

Repairs to a 101-year-old bridge in Grimsby have been branded a "total fiasco" by the town's MP after it emerged there would be further delays to its reopening.

Corporation Bridge was closed in February 2023 for the work and has faced several delays.

Oliver Freeston, the leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, has now said the bridge will not open before next May, at the earliest.

Melanie Onn, the Labour MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, said: "The failure to properly oversee the project is a total fiasco on the part of the ruling councillors."

She added: "This further delay is a real blow for businesses and residents who've been suffering with the consequences of the town being cut in half for more than three years."

In June, Freeston admitted the completion of the repairs, which have now cost £10.5m, could be delayed further. Last week, he confirmed that the project had once again been pushed back.

On social media, he said: "Officers have now confirmed that they cannot meet the deadline to reopen the bridge before Christmas, with May 2027 now being put forward as the latest possible date.

"The truth is that we still do not have a reliable reopening date. They have literally no clue when it will be reopened."

The bridge, which opened in 1925 and spans the River Freshney, is a main route into Grimsby town centre, connecting Corporation Road and Victoria Street South.

It closed for repairs to corroded steel parts and the lifting mechanism.

A woman with blonde hair wearing a grey jumper and an apron. She is standing in a kitchen area surrounded by stainless steel walls. A range of ingredients and cooking equipment is in the background.
Cafe owner Sandra Burgess says businesses near the bridge should be compensated

Motorists and commuters have previously criticised the closure of the bridge and questioned why the project had taken so long.

Sandra Burgess, who runs the Food Hut cafe on Corporation Road, described the latest delays as "absolutely ridiculous" and a "never-ending pit for taxpayers' money".

She added: "We've lost all the passing trade. We used to get loads. All the businesses have lost that.

"There has been no compensation for loss of business, and we're never updated and we're all fed up."

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