A NEW bridge will be in place at Pooley Bridge by the end of the week - but it will not open immediately.

Engineers have so far cleared the remnants of the old stone bridge out of the river, established the construction site and agreed the safety and environmental measures needed to work so close to water.

The team from Story Contracting is working round-the-clock to create the road bridge and footpath.

A large crane will be in the village this weekend to pull much of the new structure across the river and it is set to take a further week to jack it into its final position.

Work to lift the carriageway on both sides of the B-road up to the height of the new temporary bridge must also be done before it can be opened to the public.

The pledge is that it will be open for Easter - a vital date for the village and the wider Ullswater area, with both relying on the tourist trade.

The final roadwork designs have been submitted to Capita this week.

John Slee, project manager at Story Contracting, said: "We're already week four into an eight-week programme to deliver this temporary bridge.

"We're now at the stage of seeing the temporary bridge going across but it will take two weeks to build."

Keith Little, Cumbria County Council's cabinet member responsible for highways and transport, said: "Getting this bridge back will be of huge benefit to the community.

"People feel disconnected and so it is important that we reconnect them again."

The 300-year-old stone bridge at the village collapsed during the height of Storm Desmond last December.