Whitby's East Pier has got its bridge back after almost 20 years

The original East Pier footbridge was removed in 2001 because of damage caused by the sea but yesterday its £300,000 replacement was craned into place.

The footbridge, which weighs 9 tonnes and is 27 metres long, was transferred by barge from the town’s Endeavour Wharf car park, where it had been located since November, to the East Pier and craned onto the pier.

The process of installing the footbridge between the end of the East Pier and the pier extension and works to the extension will take place during the next month when weather and sea conditions for the complex operation are more favourable.

Once the work is finished, the footbridge will be opened to allow people to walk all the way to the end of the pier extension.

It has been funded by the Marine Management Organisation’s (MMO) European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF), Scarborough Borough Council and Whitby Town Council.

The Grade II listed East and West piers enclose the mouth of the River Esk where it flows into the North Sea and were built in the 18th Century from sandstone, while extensions and footbridges were added in the early 20th Century.

A recent £9m scheme to secure the long-term future of the piers has recently been completed as if they were ever to fail, hundreds of homes and businesses could be flooded, causing millions of pounds of damage.