A £3.6 million accessible footbridge in Cleethorpes has opened to reconnect people in the seaside town with the beachfront.

The new bridge includes ramps and stairs to provide an accessible and safe route over the railway from Suggitt’s Lane to the promenade.

The project was jointly funded with £2m from Network Rail and £1.6m from the DfT, and will now be owned and maintained by North East Lincolnshire Council. It was built to replace a level crossing which was closed for safety reasons in April 2019.

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Mayor of North East Lincolnshire, Councillor David Hasthorpe, opened the bridge at a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

He was joined by Martin Vickers, MP for Cleethorpes, and Lynn Sayles from the Suggitt's Lane Campaign Group. Representatives from Network Rail and North East Lincolnshire Council, who have worked in partnership to deliver this major project, were also in attendance.

Mr Vickers said: "The decision to close Suggitt’s Lane Level Crossing was highly controversial and has caused a lot of inconvenience for the local community. But we’re now able to move on. Thanks to the high-profile local campaign and the intervention of stakeholders including the Prime Minister, we now have this fantastic new facility that will provide all members of the local community safe access to the beach, the North Promenade and beyond."