Final costs of bridge unclear on official opening

The full cost of the Gull Wing Bridge in Lowestoft is still not known, according to a report to Suffolk County Council, as it prepares for its official opening.

The bridge provides the town in Suffolk with a third river crossing and has been open to traffic since September. It will be officially opened on Tuesday by the Princess Royal.

The council said it expected the cost to come in at £146m, but in a report to the scrutiny committee it said "the overall final budget position will not be totally clear until the main construction project has reached the final account stage" - which is due in the next six months.

The report said congestion had significantly fallen since its opening.

Former Prime Minister David Cameron first announced £74m of funding for a third crossing for Lowestoft in March 2016 on a trip to Felixstowe, when campaigning in the Brexit referendum.

Construction on the bridge over Lake Lothing started in 2020, but it experienced significant delays and cost increases.

The report going before Suffolk's scrutiny committee said "the scheme occurred during Covid-19 and its aftermath, including the re-setting of the global supply chain and a period of high inflation".

A spokesperson for Suffolk County Council said: "For a major project of this magnitude it is normal that final costs won't be known for several months. Final numbers will be reported to the cabinet in due course."

The report noted "anecdotally, traffic congestion in Lowestoft does largely appear to have evaporated almost overnight, and journeys seem to have been transformed for road users".

David Moss, the managing director of Moss & Co which runs pubs in the town, said the bridge "has had a massive impact", with journeys that were taking 25 minutes now taking six.

He said his pubs had also seen an increase in trade.

"It's winter time and we are noticing it. At tea time, people will stop in now after work because there's less traffic. I can't wait to see what it will be like in the summer."

Stacey Lock, the managing director of a taxi firm, said it had made a "huge difference" too, with "congestion eased all around the town".

"We used to have to limit journeys at peak times but now we can take journeys over the phone straight away," she said.

"Drivers are definitely happy because they are not sat around waiting in traffic, which increases their revenue".

Ms Locke hoped the benefits would be long-lasting.

"It will entice more businesses to come to the Lowestoft area and businesses that are trading will continue too, and it helps the economics of our town."

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