Pictures

As part of the £42M Barnstaple Western Bypass scheme to take road traffic away from the town centre of Barnstaple, a new bridge spanning the River Taw was built at Pottington 650m downstream of the historic Barnstaple Long Bridge. Construction of the new road and bridge started in the Spring of 2005 and it was opened on 23 May 2007. The bridge has five spans, three of 89m and two of 71m, giving an overall length of 409m. The official bridge opening was blessed by the Reverend Vernon Ross, Vicar of Pilton and Rector of Barnstaple, and celebrated with a fly-past by a helicopter from RAF Chivenor. The bridge brought relief to the traffic congestion in the town and created a dramatic new landmark visible from Pilton.

Thanks to Len Abbott for this photograph taken from Beech Grove in Pilton.