New Fen Bridge at historic Suffolk river crossing hoisted into place

The bridge was removed by Suffolk County Council in January, having been closed to pedestrian and river traffic since 2020.

Fen Bridge, in the Dedham Vale, has been used as a crossing over the Stour for centuries, as part of the public footpath network and an earlier bridge was used by painter John Constable as part of his route to school.

The bridge was manoeuvred into place on Tuesday (September 20 2022) morning. (Image: Suffolk Highways)

A Suffolk County Council spokesperson said: "Fen Bridge, which links Dedham and East Bergholt has been successfully replaced.

"The installation of the new bridge commenced today, September 20 2022. At approx. 11.30am cranes lifted the 15.8 tonne, 24.2m long structure into place.

"Our teams will remain on site for the next two weeks to continue further safety works to return the location back to public use.

"We thank you for your patience and cooperation throughout the works and we look forward to seeing the bridge used by the local community and visitors for years to come."

The old bridge was removed in January. (Image: Suffolk Highways)

Teams will remain at the site for the next couple of weeks. (Image: Suffolk Highways)

Fen Bridge is located in the Dedham Vale - and connects Dedham and East Bergholt. (Image: Suffolk Highways)

The replacement project used a variety of equipment, including cranes. (Image: Suffolk Highways)