Bridge repair aids flood recovery

Some 40 bridges needed replacement or repair after the floods

One of the last remaining bridges destroyed by the devastating floods that hit North Yorkshire in June 2005 has been officially opened.

The new bridleway bridge at Low Wood, on the Hawnby Estate, spans 23 metres in one of the areas most affected.

The force of the water was so great that it widened the point where the bridge crosses the river by 13 metres.

Costing £52,000, it is the most expensive of the 40 bridges which needed repair or replacement.

Funding from Yorkshire Forward is being used to pay for the remaining recovery work and the total cost of the recovery effort for the National Park Authority is expected to be around £270,000.

When the floods struck in June last year, drivers were forced to abandon their cars and climb trees to escape rising waters after the River Rye burst its banks.

The flood waters forced many residents to leave their homes and spend the night in the town hall.

The downpour over the North York Moors cut off a number of villages, with Thirsk, Carlton and Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe among those affected.