Elland Bridge will not reopen this week - because it's too cold

In a joint statement, Calderdale Council and the Canal and River Trust said: “We had hoped to open the newly rebuilt Elland Bridge to pedestrians and cyclists by the end of this week, and work was progressing well to achieve this.

“However, unfortunately the rain and the drop in temperatures mean that we are unable to carry out the essential final stage of works that would enable us to do this safely.

“The bridge needs to be waterproofed to prevent water getting into the structure and possibly damaging it in the future. The work to do this needs to be carried out in dry conditions and above a certain temperature; otherwise the waterproofing materials cannot be applied properly and the resulting bridge surface would not be durable enough for many generations to come.

“It’s so important that the new bridge for Elland is stronger, safer and more flood resilient – we have to get it right.

“We are keeping an eye on the weather and closely monitoring forecasts. All being well we hope that pedestrians and cyclists will be able to use the bridge next week.

“We will also soon be resurfacing an area of privately owned road next to the bridge, at our expense, to help the businesses based there.

“We want to reassure people that we continue to do everything we can to reopen Elland Bridge as quickly as possible for local people.”