BAM Farrans has won a contract from Norfolk County Council to build a third river crossing in Great Yarmouth, UK.

Works on the new lifting bridge are scheduled to begin in late-2020, with completion due in early 2023. Once operational, it will ease traffic load on the seaside town’s existing Haven and Breydon bridges.

The bridge will connect the A47 at Harfrey’s Roundabout on the western side of the river with South Denes Road and the port and Enterprise Zone on the eastern side.

BAM Farrans team has developed a twin leaf bascule bridge design with the counterweights below-deck. The JV team will now work with the county council project team to finalise the lifting bridge’s design and construction.

“The government has already committed £98m towards the third river crossing, approved the outline business case and recognised it as a nationally significant infrastructure project.”

Great Yarmouth Borough Council leader Graham Plant said: “The government has already committed £98m towards the third river crossing, approved the outline business case and recognised it as a nationally significant infrastructure project.

“This is a huge vote of confidence in both the local and regional economies, and I look forward to the design being finalised with the contractors and the application for Development Consent being submitted.”

The bridge will include a dual carriageway road across the River Yare.

An application for development consent is likely to be filed, with a public examination expected later this year.

The UK Department for Transport has so far allocated £98m to Norfolk County Council towards the expected £120m project cost.