IT is a bit of a fiasco, isn’t it?

The town of Poole has been looking forward to a new bridge for decades and it is fantastic that it is finally there for us all to see.

But sitting back in your seat waiting to hear when the bridge will come into use is seeming more and more like watching an absurd play. Waiting for Bridge-o. The day of arrival is imminent and much talked about... but somehow doesn’t happen.

You have to sympathise with Poole council. They’ve succeeded with the hard graft of getting the finances and approvals and the building the bridge.

And they’ve arranged not only community events to mark its opening but a royal visit, no less.

Then part of the surface crumbles.

Full marks to them this time for promptly letting us know what the problem is. They’ve explained the ‘who?’ and the ‘what?’ and admitted they don’t yet know the ‘why?’ But the key question is the ‘when?’