The first road bridge over Bingley's relief road is complete - despite torrential rain hampering progress on other parts of the multi-million project.

The 66-metre bridge construction, which opened yesterday, carries Dowley Gap Lane over the two-mile bypass.

Amec's project manager Charly Clark said last week's rain affected some of the sections but he was delighted the new bridge had opened on schedule.

"This is a milestone for us and over the next two to three months we will see many more major developments," he said.

Made from 531 cubic metres of concrete, the bridge has replaced a section of Dowley Gap Lane, giving motorists a view of the £47.9 million road running alongside the Bradford and Bingley Sports Club in Wagon Lane.

Mr Clark said workers had suffered badly with the rain at the North Bog, which had to be pumped away after it flooded the section .

Some 2,000 piles have been driven into the ground at the site, but work on the embankment, which will be sealed off with hessian reinforcement to stop it from eroding, has been delayed slightly because of the bad weather.

The wind was expected to have scuppered last-month's lift of a new railway arch which runs under the new road.

But on the night of the operation the air was still and more than 600 people gathered at 3am to watch the flood-lit 105-tonne concrete arch lifted into place.

"It was a spectacular sight and we were amazed to see so many people turn up to watch it, complete with picnics, in the middle of the night," said Mr Clark.

The next major project will be the Cottingley viaduct, taking the road over the River Aire to the roundabout which will be built by the Ramada Jarvis Bankfield Hotel in Nab Wood.

Next week massive steel girders are being delivered to the section which will be welded together and lifted on to the piers - oval-shaped pillars which will support the road.

At Bingley railway station a retaining wall is being built alongside the road and this is due to be finished in about two weeks, after which work will begin on building a new car park to be ready in about three months.

At the South Bog, a site of specific special interest, Mr Clark said work was progressing rapidly.

Amec is using a jetty to carry workers and equipment across the site. Half of this section is virtually complete.

Last month the Telegraph & Argus reported how workers claimed the scheme was months behind after they were asked by Amec to do overtime.

Mr Clark said they were now up to date and sections were on schedule.