I went to Avenham Park to see how work on the new Tram Bridge was coming along - this is what I found
Work to create a new £6.6m Tram Bridge in Preston looks to be well on track -but walkers are being warned of a path closure.
More than five years after the crossing was closed over fears that it could collapse without warning work started in August to dismantle the landmark.
The 200-year-old bridge was in such poor condition that demolition took less than half the anticipated time, finishing ahead of schedule by the end of August.
Now the second pier - the first in the water - has been completed, with all scaffolding removed. Construction on the pier began in mid-September, involving excavation two metres below the riverbed and pouring 30m³ of high-strength reinforced concrete for the foundation.
Footpath closure
Preston City Council this week said: “Construction work on the Tram Bridge is set to recommence in March 2025 which means that Old Tram Road Footpath will be closed to the public from March 10 until spring 2026. Over the spring and summer, preparatory works will be undertaken, including the construction of a new pier, ahead of the sections of the new bridge arriving for them to be crane lifted into position.”
The bridge is set to open to the public in early 2026.