Two new bridges have been swung into place across the East Suffolk rail line in Ipswich during the Christmas shutdown as part of a major housing development.

The bridges are part of the 3,500-home Ipswich Garden Suburb project - and will eventually link the Henley Gate and Fonnereau elements of the scheme.

Ipswich Star: The new bridge at Henley Gate - this will carry buses and emergency vehicles as well as cyclists and pedestrians.The new bridge at Henley Gate - this will carry buses and emergency vehicles as well as cyclists and pedestrians. (Image: Paul Geater)

The larger of the two bridges, nearer Henley Road, is designed to carry buses and emergency vehicles - and general traffic during off-peak periods.

The other bridge will be for pedestrians and cyclists only. It will be installed nearer Westerfield station and follows the line of the Fonnereau Way long-distance path.

The bridges are being installed by developers Crest Nicholson - their construction was a condition of the planning permission to build the Henley Gate development.

Crest Nicholson employed its own engineers to install the bridges, but the whole operation was overseen by Network Rail to ensure there were no problems so far as the track was concerned.

A spokesman for Network Rail said the work had all gone according to plan and trains were running as normal again on the line from Ipswich to Lowestoft and Felixstowe.

Although the bridges are now in place, the installation work is due to continue until the end of March.

The larger bridge will be used by buses and emergency services at all times - but at peak times other vehicles will be kept away from it, probably by electronic rising bollards, in a bid to ensure it does not become a rat-run for rush-hour traffic.

Ipswich Star: The deck was lowered into the road bridge at Henley Gate over Christmas.The deck was lowered into the road bridge at Henley Gate over Christmas. (Image: Network Rail)

The bridges are seen as vital for whole Ipswich Garden Suburb development to provide footpath and cycle links between the three elements.

The Henley Gate development will include the new country park between the new homes and the village of Westerfield.

The Fonnereau development is due to include a business area with new offices and small industrial units.

While the Redhouse development - between Westerfield and Tuddenham Roads - will include a new high school that youngsters from across the suburb will use. 

The new bridges will be vital to allow people to get around the Ipswich Garden Surburb - and to reach Westerfield Railway station, which is likely to become much busier once it is almost on the doorstep of a 3,500-home development.