A new pedestrian and cycle bridge was lowered into place over Rotherhithe New Road near South Bermondsey station on Saturday.

The new bridge was installed on Sunday as part of the Lottery-funded Sustrans Connect 2 project. It replaces a disused Victorian railway bridge which was removed in September and cut up for scrap.

The 4 metre wide modern bridge made of steel will carry pedestrians and cyclists over Rotherhithe New Road to South Bermondsey Station and beyond.

“It is fantastic to see the old rusty bridge gone and a purpose built crossing put in its place,” said Cllr Barrie Hargrove, cabinet member for transport.

“The good news is that despite the forecast bad weather, we finished ahead of schedule and the bridge is now in place.

“This has been another hugely successful and efficient operation led by Southwark council and its contractors.

“There was minimal disruption and the footpath was only closed for 30 minutes whilst the bridge was put in place.”

“We are looking forward to this modern replacement bridge being officially opened to the public from January 2013.

“It is going to make a significant difference to everyone, pedestrians and cyclists alike, who needs direct access to and from South Bermondsey station.”

Bryn Lockwood from Sustrans said: “It’s great to see this new dedicated walking and cycling bridge go in after all the effort of local people and thanks to their vision and perseverance in making this project happen.

“The bridge looks great and will really make a difference to people’s lives on a daily basis. People will now be able to start the day with a quiet stroll rather than dodging the trucks and traffic on the Rotherhithe New Road and it’ll encourage many more people to make their everyday journeys on foot or by bike.”