THE latest drone footage of the Mersey Gateway Bridge taken earlier in the summer shows the progress that has been made as the project nears completion.

Shot from high above the estuary, the new clearly shows the work that's been carried out on the landmark bridge project, with deck completed, its three pylons and 146 cable stays all clearly visible.

While the bridge structure is complete, the final elements of work are now being made which include barriers, street lighting, waterproofing and surfacing work, all of which must be finished before it can open safely to allow traffic.

Construction plant and vehicles can still be seen busily working on the bridge deck, but the gigantic bridge building machines that formed the bridge deck, as well as the 125m tall cranes that helped to lift the materials in to build its pylons, have now been removed, giving people their first unrestricted view of the bridge.

Layers of road surfacing that will carry six lanes of traffic have been laid on most sections of the bridge, and this work is nearing completion. The 2.13km bridge remains on track to open by mid-October, weather permitting.

Other drone operators are reminded of the strict regulations which are in place governing the use of drones and that unauthorised flying in a public place or around a construction site could lead to the operator being arrested.

Once opened the new bridge will be a tolled crossing, you can register online at www.merseyflow.co.uk

If you would like to find out more about the Mersey Gateway project, please visit:www.merseygateway.co.uk