NEWBRIDGE at Gunnislake is on schedule to reopen by lunchtime on Good Friday.

Repair work has been completed a week ahead of schedule and now teams are waiting for the lime mortar repairs to reach sufficient strength before they can reopen the bridge to traffic.

On Tuesday contractors began the task of removing the scaffolding and the work continued throughout Wednesday. 

The historic bridge, which carries the A390 over the River Tamar on the Devon and Cornwall border, has been closed since being struck by a vehicle earlier this month (Tuesday, April 2).

Because the structure, which dates from 1520, is Grade I Listed, contractors working on behalf of Devon County Council have had to ensure that repairs were carried out sensitively.

Members of the public who have parked cars on either side of the bridge are requested to move them by today (Thursday) to avoid congestion when the road reopens tomorrow (Good Friday).

A Devon County Council spokesperson said on Wednesday: ‘Our teams have worked hard to complete the work and enable the road to open as soon as possible.

‘While we wait for the lime mortar to achieve full strength we are taking the opportunity to carry out as much maintenance work as possible, including pointing to the traffic face of the parapets and removing a large tree from the river below which has been snagged against the bridge for some time.’