Ovington village bridge collapse repairs begin
Work has begun to repair a bridge which collapsed during heavy rain leaving a County Durham village split in two.
A landslide after unprecedented levels of rainfall closed the bridge in Ovington, near Teesdale in December.
Villagers were left facing a 10-mile detour after the main route to the A67, linking County Durham with North Yorkshire, was cut off.
A spokesman for Durham County Council said they were doing all they could to "minimise disruption" to the community.
Work to repair the bridge is expected to take 12 weeks.
A reinforced concrete wall will be built with a stone facing to match the original bridge wall.
The council said where possible, the original stone in the area around the bridge would be re-used.
Work to repair the road and remove debris from the embankment will also be carried out.