A FLOOD damaged bridge near Burneside is opening to traffic again this evening following the completion of major repair works.

Sprint Bridge, located on the C5056 linking Burneside to the A6 north of Kendal, suffered severe damage with the loss of stonework and twisting of the bridge arch during Storm Desmond in December 2015.

Cumbria County Council has invested in the region of half a million pounds in the bridge repair works, which have included replacing damaged in-river foundations, stabilising a failed abutment and replacement of the concrete slab over the bridge.

The reopening of Sprint Bridge at 5pm means traffic restrictions have been lifted on this section of the C5056.

However, HGVs, buses and other large vehicles cannot use this route because a 3.5 tonnes weight restriction is still in place on Ford Bridge in Burneside, and width restrictions in the form of traffic management are in place to prevent the weight restriction being exceeded.

Repairs to Ford Bridge are currently scheduled for summer 2017.

Cllr Stan Collins, local member for Upper Kent, said: “I am pleased that this bridge is reopening because it will make life easier for the people of Burneside who have had to drive through Kendal to reach Shap Road.

"It will also be a relief to the people of Garnett Bridge whose narrow roads have been used as an unofficial short cut."