WORK to replace a 200-year-old bridge in Brighouse which was severely damaged by floods has reached a key stage.

The concrete arch of the new Crowther Bridge has been completed as well as the concrete spandrels above the arch.

From next month work will start to clad the concrete sections in stone which was saved from the original bridge when it was demolished.

But the opening date for the new bridge has now been put back again.

The Canal & River Trust, which is carrying out the work in a joint project with the structure's owner, Calderdale Council, has confirmed the bridge is now expected to reopen for use in July.

If follows delays as a result of extra ground investigations and poor ground conditions.

The bridge, on Elland Road, has been closed to traffic since it was badly hit in the 2015 Boxing Day floods.

During the torrential downpour which hit large parts of the district, the bridge’s archway was ripped away from the rest of the structure.

It provides access over the Calder & Hebble Navigation.

The work is part of a government-funded £5.5 million joint project by the Canal & River Trust to rebuild Crowther and the nearby Elland bridge.