Work on new bridge heralds launch of £82m project creating thousands of jobs

The Lichfield Park project is part of one of biggest Government Growth Deals in the UK. Work started on the scheme at the beginning of December.

The existing bridge across the West Coast Mainline was demolished during the network break, beginning late on Christmas Eve. Its wider replacement will be finished in the autumn.

The new business park on land next to the A38 in the city was made possible after £4million was secured through the growth fund. The development will involve improvements to Burton Old Road which will provide access to the site.

Rail users have been diverted to a car park at Crossfield Road following the closure of the Burton Old Road car park.

The scheme will also include improvements to the road network on to the site.

The bridge was taken down over a 48-hour period during Christmas Day and Boxing Day, the only time when the work could be carried out without causing nationwide disruption.

Staffordshire County Council's economy leader Mark Winnington said: "The team carrying out the demolition needed to work throughout the Christmas period to bring the bridge down as this is the only time of the year when there's a break on the network.

"It was therefore vital to carry out this work with the greatest precision. In fact, engineers handed the track back over to Network Rail ahead of schedule.

"This time next year the Lichfield Park development will be complete. It marks the start of our first growth deal project which will be followed by other developments at Four Ashes in South Staffordshire and Meaford, near Stone."

The £82.2 million Staffordshire Growth Deal sees government cash ploughed into developments across the county.

At Stafford, money will go towards a new Western Access highway between Newport Road and Doxey Road, intended to ease congestion and help open up sites for housing and to allow companies to expand and create jobs. It means the completion of a long-awaited road link.

Much of the work involves transforming brownfield sites with industrial units and businesses, as well as improving road access, and creating thousands more jobs in the process.

Some 1,100 jobs will be created through the expansion of businesses and building work at Cappers Lane employment area and the Lichfield Park employment site.

The other projects are expected to follow in the coming months.