WORK to restore a Kidderminster canal bridge has been completed.

A team from the Canal and River Trust started the major restoration of Limekiln Bridge in 2012. The bridge crosses the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal in Kidderminster, just outside of house builder Bellway’s Keepers Lock development.

After being modified over the years, the bridge has now been brought back to its former glory. It has been rebuilt using brickwork taking it back to its original form when it was built around 200 years ago.

Special carvings have also been etched into the brickwork, to signify the year the restoration took place, a tradition in keeping with other bridges in the local area.

Ian Lane, acting waterways manager at Canal and River Trust, said: “Limekiln Bridge is a really popular canal crossing point for walkers and cyclists and I am delighted we could restore this bridge and make it a more attractive feature of the waterways.

“We rebuilt the bridge using traditional heritage techniques and the new bricks closely match with the original 200-year-old brickwork. I’m really pleased with the finished job.

“The canals are a wonderful place to visit if you want to spend time away from the hustle and bustle and I would encourage everyone to just take 10 minutes out of their day to find out for themselves just how peaceful the waterways can be.”

Bellway’s sales and marketing directo, Stephen Rose thanked the team for their efforts.

He said: “The team from the Canal and River Trust have done an excellent job and I would like to thank them for their hard work on behalf of Bellway.

“The bridge looks fantastic now and it is a really nice feature for the site. Being situated alongside the canal is a big draw for this site and it is a beautiful setting.”