WORK to widen a road bridge to cut accidents and make the area safer for pedestrians has been carried out by North Yorkshire highways.

Tanton Bridge at Stokesley was built many years ago and was not designed to cope with the amount of traffic and people who now use it. North Yorkshire County Council started work in January on the B1365, at Tanton which involved widening the bridge to accommodate two way traffic and creating footpaths

County Councillor Bryn Griffiths, Member for Stokesley, said: "The old bridge was relatively narrow. Over recent years, vehicles have become significantly larger and with the increase in traffic, ultimately from new housing developments in Stokesley, there have been numerous repairs due to collisions. This work ensures the Bridge is fit for the future."

The historic appearance of the bridge was kept with dismantled walls reused and the reconstruction designed in keeping with the ashlar stone used when it was built.

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Highways, added: "The coronavirus restrictions did bring some problems but the delay was kept to a minimum. I’d like to thank our contractors and the public for their patience.The bridge is now able to meet the traffic demands of the 21st Century."