A BRIDGE which has been closed for almost two years will finally be reopened at the end of the month.

The Varde Buller footbridge, which links Durham Road and Mandeville Way in Laindon, has been closed since October 2020.

Network Rail installed huge barriers at either end, declaring the bridge structurally unsound.

Urgent repairs were carried out at the time to ensure trains could travel underneath, but pedestrians were prevented from accessing it.

Today, Network rail announced the bridge will reopen on August 26 – after the original planned reopening date of July 12 was missed.

Welcoming the news, Basildon and Billericay MP John Baron, who has fought for Network Rail to complete the works, said: “This footbridge has been closed for far too long, causing inconvenience to local residents.

“It is disappointing that the original planned reopening on July 12 was missed but it is important that all safety considerations are met.”

South Basildon and East Thurrock MP Stephen Metcalfe said: “Despite the delay, I am pleased this saga is coming to an end and that residents will once again have access to this important route to and from the station. Thanks to our collective efforts we can finally put this issue to bed.”

Councillor Kevin Wingfield added: “Following our meeting with Network Rail in May, residents were relieved to hear that works would finally be getting underway to repair the bridge after months of delays.

“The slippage in completion date is frustrating, but we recognise safety has to come first.

“Let’s make sure the job gets done properly and we can all looking forward to being able to use the bridge again soon.”