A BRIDGE that has been closed since the middle of May is scheduled to reopen later this year. 

The Twin Sails Bridge in Poole has been closed to motorists since May 17 at 4.30pm due to an investigation into safety fears.

The bridge is one of two bridges connecting Poole to Hamworthy and allowing boats into the harbour.

A spokesperson for BCP Council said: "From 5 August, further works will take place in between the scheduled lifts during the day, with further work being completed overnight to minimise disruption to marine traffic.  

"During this time, the bridge will be raised and lowered as part of the testing procedures and if successful, the bridge will be back operating on the regular schedule from the week commencing 12 August."

Councillor Andy Hadley, Portfolio Holder for Climate Response, Environment and Energy, Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) Council said: “Our teams have been working hard to get the Twin Sails bridge operational, engaging with specialist contractors as well as key stakeholders, to ensure this process runs smoothly, and the planning is finalised. 

“The bridge will continue to operate on a single cylinder on each side whilst we work on the long-term plan for the bridge, including identifying suitable funding sources to restore the bridge to full service. 

“We appreciate the congestion in the vicinity, and I understand the impact these works have had on all users of the bridge, I’d like to apologise for the inconvenience and thank everyone for their patience during these works.”