A bridge severely damaged during a car crash has reopened 19 weeks after the incident.
The Halfpenny Bridge on the A361 in Lechlade-on-Thames was closed in the early hours of 20 June, after a vehicle ploughed into the structure.
The driver, a man, was taken to hospital for treatment and samples of blood are waiting to be assessed to determine whether he was drunk or on drugs at the time.
The incident led to motorists having to take a 24-mile official diversion during repair work, which mostly finished earlier this week.
As of about 1pm today (Friday), the bridge was reopened to traffic. The boulders have been removed, and council workers are collecting signage and cones.
Local businesses, including The Riverside pub, lost a significant amount of trade due to the closure – which lasted the entire summer.
Speaking to ITV previously, manager Gareth Chapman said: “We just feel abandoned. Takings are down 40 to 45 percent. Trade has dropped off massively after we spent two years building back after Covid.
“Local people are getting upset about it now, they just want their town back”.
Editor’s Note: Regretfully, the original image used within this article (now removed) was sent in to us without the true copyright holder’s permission. At the request of the photographer, we have made a donation to Great Western Air Ambulance in order to resolve this matter.
