Contractors and engineers have used two huge steel tubes, originally intended for a wind farm project that did not go ahead, to create a temporary crossing where a bridge was swept away during floods.
The traditional Yorkshire Dales masonry bridge over Cogden Beck near Grinton was completely destroyed after it was battered by a torrent of water carrying boulders and other debris.
The crossing between Grinton and Leyburn had to be repaired quickly because it forms part of the route for a key cycle race, the UCI Road World Championship, which takes place next month.
Firms working for North Yorkshire County Council have been working around the clock to repair the bridge ever since the floods on 30 and 31 July.
Earlier this week (Tuesday 13 August), Cleveland Steel delivered the two repurposed steel tubes, which were rolled into Cogden Beck. They will divert the waterway so a temporary bridge and road can be built before the traditional Dales masonry bridge is rebuilt next year. The temporary crossing should allow the road world championships to continue along its planned route.
Another road linking Grinton with the rest of the dales, the B6270, was also left impassable after part of the road collapsed during intense rainfall and a bridge further along the road over Cogden Beck was severely weakened.
North Yorkshire County Council and its contractors have now excavated the landslip and are hoping to have the road and bridge open soon.
Roy Fishwick, managing director of Cleveland Steel and Tubes, said: "We were delighted when the council accepted our proposal to deploy steel tubes to repair the bridges. As a local supplier we can also immediately provide the tubes, enabling the council to quickly restore access for residents as well as the tourists upon which this region relies during the summer."
