THE Teme Bridge into Tenbury could be open as early as this weekend the Advertiser can reveal.

Work on the £650,000 refurbishment has gone so well that the bridge will be open to traffic again ahead of schedule.

Richard Attwood, project manager for Worcestershire County Council, declined to say exactly when he expected the bridge to reopen but if all goes well it is understood that it could be this weekend – nine weeks after the project started “The work has gone very well and I am confident that we will be ahead of schedule,” said Richard Attwood.

“With the exception of a few days when we could not lay concrete because of the low temperature the weather has been good to us,”

Work on the bridge started early in January and it was scheduled to be finished on Friday, March 16.

But the project has gone so well that completion nearly a week ahead of time will be a bonus for traders in the town.

“I am really pleased that the work has gone so well and we will be able to open the bridge ahead of schedule,” said Councillor Ken Pollock, who represents Tenbury on Worcestershire County Council.

“Now the town can get back to normal and we want to see as many people as possible back in Tenbury so the town can recover.”