A cyclist-friendly bridge over one of the city’s busiest roads is a step closer to completion after major work was carried out on the scheme over the weekend.

Bright red steel columns were installed in Manchester Road to form the support for the bridge, which is expected to be lifted into place next month.

The road was closed to traffic between St Stephen’s Road and Ripley Street throughout the weekend while the work was carried out with diversions in place along Bowling Old Lane and St Stephen’s Road.

The scheme, near Newby Primary School, is part of a nationwide project by charity Sustrans to provide new routes for walking and cycling.

The organisation was awarded £50 million by the Big Lottery Fund for new walking and cycling routes across the country and the new bridge forms part of the project.

It has been designed to connect communities on either side of Manchester Road and provide links to the city centre and university.

The road is to be closed again while the main part of the bridge is installed. Steps, paving and landscaping will then need to be completed before the bridge is opened to the public. An official opening is planned for later in the summer.

The bridge will be made of more than 350 tonnes of steel and will be 210 metres long in total, with two main spans over Manchester Road, of 22 metres and 24 metres.

It replaces a footbridge that was demolished in October.

Bradford Council is working with Sustrans and other organisations to improve £4 million of cycle routes in the district, including the Manchester Road area. Other projects include the creation of a mountain biking hub at St Ives, near Bingley, and improving the Canal Road corridor.

Last month Sustrans launched its Bike It project in the district, which aims to encourage more to children to ride to school rather than travel by car.