A PROJECT to replace a tiny bridge has been delayed again – and will have taken at least a year by the time it is completed.

The bridge in Spring Lane, Colchester, was closed last January and was due to be replaced within six months.

Frustrated residents say journey times have trebled and business say their takings have suffered.

Essex County Council has now revealed the completion date is at least six weeks away, and has warned it could take longer if it rains again.

Hague Construction has apologised for the delays, but says the project has proved much more complicated than expected.

Nick Wells, site supervisor, said: “The difficulty is the ground condition.

“We had to go two-and-ahalf metres below the river bed and the ground conditions are the worst I have seen in my 32 years of work.

“The excavation was like trying to dig in quicksand.

“Every time we took out a bucketful it was falling back and collapsing on itself.

“If we had rock or something substantial to build on it would have been a lot easier.”

Work was being carried out yesterday while the weather was fine, and sections of the bridge are expected to be installed today.

The iron bridge, which was about seven metres wide, was installed in 1904. It carries Spring Lane over an overflow channel of the River Colne.

A three-tonne weight limit was been imposed on the bridge, but engineers found it could not safely cope with three-tonne vehicles.

The project was originally due to take six months.

Clive Saville, from West Bergholt, who would use the bridge three to four times a week, said: “It has meant a lot of inconvenience.

“It takes more than 45 minutes to get around, rather than 15 minutes. It is disappointing how long it has taken. This is the first time out of the times I have been down there that I have seen anyone doing anything.”

Brian Jarvis, councillor for Lexden, who lives in Bakers Lane, has to take a diversion to get to Colchester North station every day, which can take up to 45 minutes.

He said: “Everyone is tremendously frustrated by the whole thing. It has had an immense impact. It’s been an absolute nightmare.

“It has put a lot of time on people’s journeys and added to the congestion at North Station.

“I was down there just the other day and it doesn’t really look like we’re near to completion.

There seems to be a lot of work to be done.”

A spokesman for Essex County Council said: “The Spring Lane bridge project has been delayed by further flooding.

“Providing the rain holds off for the rest of December, we anticipate the work will completed by the end of January.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”