WORK has started today (Monday, May 23) on taking down the disused rail bridge over Station Road.

A section of the road has been closed to traffic during the work, which is expected to take all week - and could spill over into next week.

A temporary pedestrian and bike access has been created between Station Road and its junction with Station Approach and over the old rail line to Whitehall, where steps have been installed.

Check out our Bridge Watch stories running all week on this site.

A new bridge will be installed later on to connect up the two ends of the Northern Inner Distributor Road being built between Staplegrove Road at its junction with Chip Lane and Priory Avenue.

Among those using the temporary pedestrian walkway today was Taunton Deane MP Rebecca Pow.

She said: "So pleased to see work on the final stretch of the long awaited NIDR is finally underway.

"I used the temporary pedestrian walkway on my way to the station on Monday and so got a clear view of work in progress.

"This section has been fraught with technical problems owing to the past history of the bridge and with these now ironed out I am sure I am not alone in looking forward to the moment when the NIDR finally opens making a much needed contribution to reducing the congestion in Taunton."

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