According to records held by Cumbria County Council the original New Bridge took over ten years to get funding , took five years in the planning stage and took around four years to build. The foundations was washed away at least once so the replacement bridge is being installed in record time when compared with the original. There are so many new regulations to meet nowadays and to ensure the planning meets them thousands of Pounds Sterling are used to ensure the bridge is legal. The EC dictates the rules nowadays regarding design and safety. Regarding the footbridge at Cammerton, until 1965 it was owned by British Railways when it was taken over by the County Council. Cumbria County Council does not have pots of money to replace little used footbridges and likewise the Workington Harbour bridge will never get replaced for a couple of decades, if at all. The lonning from Barepot to salmon Hall was washed away and this too will never be reinstated for the lack of funding. besides it would mean the landowner of an adjoining field would loose some of his land and this is looked upon by many as unacceptable.

here we go another civil engineer not!!!! "James O" if you are a project engineer than fine you will have some knowledge of such projects and how much they cost if not then its just somebody else spouting off again!!!

Ray the actual building of the bridge hasn't taken 3 years, there was a long period of raising funds and planning to be done before the bridge build was started plus problems with the foundations if it isn't done correctly the bridge won't last very long, i take it you will be standing for election soon or are you just shouting the odds against everthing!!!!!

I worked on the eurostar rail link with balfour beatty we layed 11 of these bridges within 1 year,someone needs to leave the county and see how other projects work,this has been a classic example of how to make lots of money for little in return.

11million pound for that,kerching who ever managed to get that deal must be a genius,who ever gave the money away wants their head looked at and a few lessons in procurement.

I suppose any time for it to open will be welcomed by a lot of people, I for one will rarely use but there must be loads who will use it several times a day.
With the weather we have had this year I say well done to the team who have built it.

albert, they've had almost 3 years to rebuild it, and spent 2 years of that sitting around tables talking about it. These monsoons havent been with us every day since november 2009. People should stop voting idiots to govern us then we wouldn't have to wait so damned long.

I'm worried about the road toward the right of the temporary bridge, they need to sort it out pronto.

What about the footbridge between Great Clifton and Camerton. Has'nt anyone noticed that the old one is still lying in the river where it fell. Has'nt anyone noticed that the repairs have not started yet

all the people who complain should stand out in the weather we are having at the moment you can't lay concrete in a monsoon give the guys a break!!!!