Work on new £7 million Telford footbridge to start next week
Work on a new £7 million footbridge linking Telford's railway station to the town centre will start next week.
The "unique and iconic" bridge will be funded by the Department for Transport.
The existing foot and cycle bridge spans two lines of railway, the A442 and Rampart Way, which is part of the A5.
But it is steep and does not meet laws that require pathways to be accessible to the disabled.
But the new bridge will be built at a slightly different angle to the existing one, meaning users will still be able to cross the busy roads during construction.
On Monday initial surveying work will be followed by some surplus vegetation being cleared ahead of the approaching bird nesting season.
Earthworks and civil engineering construction work will begin in earnest on the structures of the bridge later in the spring.
Councillor Angela McClements, Telford & Wrekin Council's cabinet member for Transport, said: "I am delighted that work is about to get under way on what is a very major engineering project, with the new bridge crossing what will be two dual carriageways and a live railway line.
"The new bridge will be constructed on a slightly different alignment to the current structure in order that the existing bridge can stay in place while the new one is built."
