Council pledges extra £16m for 'bridge to nowhere'

A delayed project dubbed "the bridge to nowhere" has been given a further £16m to help fund its completion.

The bridge over the A46 Stoneleigh junction near Kenilworth was due to be finished in the summer of 2022 at a cost of £38m.

However, it remains unfinished and Warwickshire County Council's deputy leader Peter Butlin said the additional money was needed to fund a "design alternation".

A council meeting on Tuesday heard residents had labelled the project the "bridge to nowhere" and members were warned it was not yet known if the costs would rise further.

The project to reduce congestion near the town originally included a £12m contribution from the council.

The remaining funding came from the Department for Transport and the West Midlands Combined Authority.

Liberal Democrat Sarah Boad asked Butlin at the meeting when more would be known about future costs.

"We don't know at this moment in time because it is still in negotiation with the contractors," he responded.

It was previously revealed that delays, including problems sourcing materials, had resulted from a dispute between the council and the contractors Colas.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.