WORK to replace the weakened A38 bridge near Berkeley has taken a major step forward with the old bridge removed as one piece last weekend.

A 66m tall crane – one of only three in the country – was required for the job due to the distance it had to be set back from the bridge.

The project to replace the 100-tonne structure will cost £2.5million and is jointly funded by GFirst LEP and Gloucestershire County Council.

A timelapse video of the weekend's work was recorded by Site-Eye for Gloucestershire County Council which kindly allowed the Gazette to share it.

After the bridge was lifted, the remainder of Saturday saw the preparation of the site for the new bridge being installed.

On Sunday, five steel and concrete beams, weighing up to 87 tonnes each, were lifted into position to form the structure of the new bridge.

Construction took place non-stop for a 52-hour period over the weekend to get the necessary work completed whilst the railway line was closed.

The crane will now be dismantled and the lane reopened under traffic lights on Friday.

Work will continue with a number of shorter night railway closures arranged over the coming weeks to enable a new protective wall to be secured to the bridge.

Combining the structure into the highway with entry and exit slabs will also take place, as will the installation of safety barrier to protect road users.

Cllr Nigel Moor, cabinet member for fire, planning and infrastructure, said: “This weekend has been an amazing triumph and I am so proud of all the hard work the team have put in working throughout the weekend to get the old bridge lifted out.

“Replacing the bridge has been an extremely technical operation requiring a lot of time and skill.

"I would again like to thank all road and rail users for their continued patience whilst the work has taken place, and look forward to the A38 being open and accessible for all once the project is completed later this year.”

Work is scheduled to be fully completed in May at which time both bridges will be opened to traffic.

The temporary 30mph speed limit, which has been in place at the bridge since a routine inspection in 2013 unearthed structural issues, will be lifted once the scheme has been finished.