THE city's newest bridge has begun to take shape as important sections are being put in place.

The multi-million-pound Kepax Bridge project in Gheluvelt Park will see a new walking and cycling bridge reach from Gheluvelt Park to the former Kepax landfill site in Worcester.

A new picture published by Worcestershire County Council shows one of the main segments of the bridge being lifted into place. 

Work on the main part of the bridge started last month, as work up until then had focused on the bridge's structural bases and foundations.

A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council said: "New sections of the Kepax Bridge deck have been lifted into place.

"Four bridge sections have been installed on the west side of the river by a 350-tonne crane."

This stage of the bridge-building process involves complex lifting arrangements, with up to three cranes working simultaneously to place each part. 

A lead crane will lift and support deck sections into place, and tailing cranes will lift cable stays that will carry the forces and support the deck sections as they span the river. 

Barges are set to be put in the river and fitted with elevated working platforms, on which operatives will work to gain access to the bridge deck sections being lifted over the river.

Following the completion of bridge lifts, tipper trucks will remove the stone used to construct crane pads from the site in preparation for landscaping.

The new bridge came after the council was told it could not be trusted to use the money for walking and cycling correctly until it improved as part of a 'zero' rating by government body Active Travel England.

The rating was given to the council for not even meeting the 'minimum standards' of political leadership on boosting walking and cycling in the county and for its lacklustre track record of providing improvements.

The bridge project is expected to be completed this year.