A walkway across Pulrose Bridge should be open by the end of today (Friday), says the Department of Infrastructure.

According to a statement by Highway Services, a branch of the DoI, it is ’now on target’ to open a temporary pedestrian route across the upstream side of the bridge in Douglas, to link Pulrose and Peel Road.

It said: ’It is expected that this will open by the end of the working day on Friday.’

Meanwhile, work is ’progressing well’ on the bridge.

Highway Services’s statement said: ’Manx Utilities have completed the diversion of all cabling that connects the power station to the rest of the island and beyond.

’This has been a major undertaking, which has been completed safely and effectively without interrupting service to the island.

’Manx Utilities have also completed the transition to the new water main that is carried by the bridge.

’Following specialist piling works last week, the new abutment on the Pulr0se end of the downstream side of the bridge has been fully constructed.

’Work now is underway on the abutment (the ends of the bridge) at the Peel Road end.

’The new retaining walls alongside the Riverside Estate are progressing well.’

The £3.4 million project began in March of this year after the previous bridge, built in 1931, was said by the government to be neither practical nor economically justifiable.

In 2015, the River Douglas broke its banks and the bridge couldn’t cope with the amount of water rushing under it.

The replacement bridge, with a ’design life’ of 120 years, will feature load-bearing structures much closer to the banks and the wider channel will improve flow and reduce the possibility of debris causing blockages.