A 350-tonne road bridge has launched over the Great Western Main Line as part of Crossrail improvement works in the area.

The 110-metre long temporary structure has been installed at Thorney Lane, in Iver, ahead of the demolition of the existing bridge at Christmas.

Both Thorney Lane Bridge and Stoke Poges Bridge in Slough will be demolished at Christmas and replaced with permanent bridges to allow enough room for overhead electric cables to be installed over the tracks on the Great Western Main Line. Crossrail's new electric trains will be quieter, smoother and more reliable than the existing diesel suburban trains.

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Stoke Poges Lane Bridge in Slough will be closed between late November 2014 and April 2015, with traffic redirected along Farnham Road or Stoke Road and William Street.

Matthew White, Surface Director at Crossrail, said: "Crossrail will provide a major improvement in public transport for people in the area – better stations, new trains and more comfortable journeys.

"Passengers will be able to travel right through central London without having to change trains, making it easier and more convenient to get to a range of destinations across the capital and the South East."

(CD/JP)