SCARBOROUGH Bridge will reopen next week.

A new footway has been installed at the bridge over the River Ouse, which links the city centre with the railway station.

The route is used by about 3,000 people every day and has been shut since January 26 for upgrade work to take place.

And the new bridge is set to open on the afternoon of Thursday April 18, although a City of York Council spokesman said work will still be carried out at the site while the walkway is open to the public.

A diversion has been signposted across Lendal Bridge since January and Scarborough Bridge was originally due to reopen on March 18, but a council spokesman said the opening date was delayed due to hold-ups caused by poor weather.

The footbridge will be four metres wide and will have ramps to make it easier to use for cyclists, and accessible for people using buggies or wheelchairs.

The walkway was built off site in Glasgow and lifted into place using rail cranes after the former structure was removed.

According to Cllr Peter Dew, the council's executive member for transport, the structure has been designed with a nod to the city’s Viking heritage with ‘ribs’ made of weathering steel to evoke the image of a Viking longship.

The £4.8m scheme has been funded from City of York Council’s transport budget, as well as the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which has put £1.9 million towards the plans, and the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, which is contributing £1.5 million.

The Press previously reported that the scheme is due to come in more than £1 million under budget, meaning further improvement work could take place along the route.

The cash is set to be used to upgrade paths and cycleways on either side of the bridge.

Council officers, speaking at a transport meeting in December, said the extra work could include straightening the footpath running through the archway on the south side of the bridge to improve visibility.

There are also plans to widen the floodgate on the northern side of the bridge, replace the steps on to St Mary’s and St Mary’s Lane with a ramp and improve the crossing on Bootham at the top of St Mary’s to make it easier for cyclists to use. Once the designs have been completed, a decision will be made on the proposals at a separate meeting.