Further delays to bridge possible, says council
North East Lincolnshire CouncilRepairs to a century-old bridge could face further delays, a council leader has suggested.
Corporation Bridge in Grimsby shut in February 2023, and has faced several delays since in reaching a completion date.
The latest estimated reopening date has been set for December this year, but in a social media video Oliver Freeston, leader of North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC), warned "engineering approvals haven't been keeping up with work on site".
Freeston also said repairs had "started at just over £5m and is now around £10.5m". He explained this was largely because the bridge was "in a lot worse condition than expected".
Local Democracy Reporting ServiceThe bridge has been closed to motorists for more than three years, with one commuter previously stating it was "beyond a joke".
The rolling lift bridge, which spans the River Freshney, is a main route into Grimsby town centre, connecting Corporation Road and Victoria Street South.
Having opened in 1925, it required repairs to corroded steel parts and the lifting mechanism.
The bridge was due to reopen before Christmas 2023, but it was found to need more repairs and its opening date was pushed back to summer 2025.
It faced another setback after the council parted company with its main contractor, Spencer Group, in May 2025 over "unacceptable delays" and cost increases, with Taziker now the appointed contractor.
'Real embarrassment'
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, councillors said the December 2026 date for completion included leeway for possible delays, and updates since then indicated the works were on schedule.
In a social media video posted on 5 June, Freeston said the project's delays had been "a real embarrassment for our town".
He said: "Things are in place to mitigate the delay and ensure the December opening, but I'll update you again at the end of July when we've got a clearer date.
"To reassure everybody, this is not a confirmed delay."
He added that Taziker is "incentivised" to finish on time, with measures such as extra engineering support brought in to assist with the work.
Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North.
Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices