EUROPE'S first plastic road bridge is being installed near Shrivenham. Engineers were today using a 200 tonne crane to install the new deck for West Mill Bridge, Oxfordshire, which will carry the B4508 across the River Cole.

The bridge is to be built of advanced composite materials, essentially glass fibre and carbon fibre, rather than traditional concrete and steel.

One of the advantages of using advanced composites is that the 11 metre long bridge deck is light enough to be lifted into place in one piece.

Future maintenance will also be reduced as the new material does not rust or need painting. After extensive testing the bridge is due to open to the public at the end of this month.

Oxfordshire county councillor David Robertson, executive member for transport and highways, said: "This is an amazing piece of engineering and we are pleased to be leading the way in innovative development in bridge design."

The bridge is the result of a European-funded project, ASSET, to develop the new material for use in bridges.

Along with Oxfordshire County Council the project team included contractor Skanska, Danish company Fibreline, and a number of research institutions throughout Europe.