AN independent review has been ordered into delays in re-opening Ovingham Bridge.

Details of the investigation emerged as Northumberland County Council confirmed the bridge would be back in use by the end of November - 16 months after its closed for repairs, and six months after the original scheduled completion date.

The local authority has commissioned the review, which will examine the causes for the delay. The council has not confirmed whether penalties will be imposed for the late-running contract.

The road link between Prudhoe and Ovingham was closed on June 30, 2014, amid promises that the refurbishment would take just 10 months and that the year-long closure would allow for any unforeseen problems.

But unexpected problems, uncovered after centuries of paint was blasted off the Victorian bridge, caused the completion date to be repeatedly delayed.

And for the 16 months of the ongoing work residents and businesses have endured a raft of problems, from traders saying they have lost money to angry clashes between pedestrians and cyclists on the adjoining footbridge.

A county council spokesman said: “The council remains committed to completing the work on Ovingham Bridge and we anticipate that it will be re-opened by the end of November 2014, barring unforeseen weather conditions.

“We are working closely with the contractor to ensure all measures are being taken to secure a completion within the timescale and we will promptly address and resolve any obstacles that could delay the completion.

“As with any such project, we are keen to review how the project has been undertaken and to learn any lessons that can be applied to future projects and for this reason we have commissioned independent analysis of the project to evaluate the effectiveness of project development and delivery.”

This news has been welcomed by Prudhoe business owner Julie Fleckenstein, who says the work has seen footfall dwindle on the town’s shopping areas.

She said: “It has been atrocious from start to finish; it’s beginning to feel like a total joke. It’s been poorly managed. Now there’s a dozen to two dozen workers on the bridge when a few months ago you’d hardly see anyone.

“It’s full steam ahead now.But why wasn’t it like that six months ago?

“People in Ovingham are going to Corbridge, Wylam, Hexham or even the Metrocentre rather than driving all the way around to Prudhoe.”

And Eleanor Glendinning, of Glendinning Recovery in Low Prudhoe, said her business has also suffered during the bridge’s closure.

She said: “The prolonged delay has just compounded issues we had when it first closed - problems with footfall and finances. We have found it extremely difficult.

“We understand that unexpected problems will arise and are just hopeful that it will open at the end of November.”

Before the work is complete there is painting work still to be done on three spans of the bridge and work on the Prudhoe side embankments.

When the road surface is relaid, the footbridge will be closed to allow for some panels to be re-instated and foot traffic diverted onto the road.

It is understood the work is subject to a timed contract and that the contractor could incur penalties for delays.

Many people have taken to social media to express their discontent, with some suggesting it would have been quicker to build a new bridge.

However, Bywell county councillor Paul Kelly said feasibility studies into a replacement bridge or a new bridge nearby were discounted as they were unlikely to attract regional funding.

He said: “It was my understanding that there was a time within which the contractors would complete the work, and if they were to overshoot that they would be penalised. But I do not know to what extent that will be exercised.

“If we had been able to totally remodel the bridge, as at Wylam, then that might have produced a better outcome.

“But it was not something we were allowed to do because the funding wasn’t there for it.”