Bridge work will finally go ahead, three years on...

A MAJOR commuter bridge in Ormskirk is undergo multimillion pound refurbish work three years after plans were first considered.

West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper hit out at the council for the delay in putting forward a full plan while the condition of the Derby Street bridge worsened and accused it of not having a proper plan for the maintenance work.

But, a county council spokesman said that works had now been costed and were due to begin in the coming months.

The bridge, which forms part of the A570 in Ormskirk town centre and which crosses over the Liverpool to Ormskirk railway line, has been part of investigations by LCC since 2015 due to its poor condition.

An 18-ton weight limit has been in place throughout this period and will remain in place until 2021, at which point a lower limit would be put in place, potentially affecting access for buses, lorries and fire engines.

LCC reported in August 2015 that costs for a replacement bridge were in the region of £2.5m to £3m, while a strengthening and widening scheme would cost in the region of £3m to £4m.

A council report published in December stated that strengthening work will be undertaken in the next financial year, which begins on March 1.

According to the report, the final cost of the strengthening work will be £2.684m, with funding split 50/50 between the