Residents of Ebbsfleet Garden City will enjoy quick and easy access to the nearby international station thanks to a £12 million bridge.

Running from Springhead Park to Station Access Road, high above the River Ebbsfleet, the 40 metre long structure will sport two lanes for vehicles, pedestrian footpaths and a cycle path.

It will also form part of a new Fastrack bus route and means the walk from Springhead Park to the station will be just eight minutes, down from 25.

Paul Spooner, interim chief executive with Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, said: “This is an important milestone for Ebbsfleet Garden City as we deliver the first piece of significant infrastructure that will be a huge benefit to existing and future communities.

“Not only will it significantly reduce journey times and provide health benefits by encouraging people to leave the car at home and walk to the station, but it will provide a direct route to Ebbsfleet Central, the new commercial area of the Garden City.

“As we connect the Garden City and make it a great place to walk and cycle in, the long term benefits of providing the Springhead Bridge are clear to see. The confidence in the Garden City remains unchanged and anyone in the area can see for themselves the real pace at which development is moving with the amount of work that is going on across all the sites.”

Developer Countryside will now accelerate the delivery of its access road to the bridge from its Springhead Park development.

Iain McPherson, Regional Managing Director of Countryside, added: “We are delighted to be working with Ebbsfleet Development Corporation on this exciting project.

“Springhead Bridge will provide a significant link to the station for Springhead Park residents and having such a well-connected development brings enormous benefits to our existing and new communities.”

The bridge will now be subject to a detailed design plan with the highway authority and will eventually be adopted by Kent County Council once complete.

It is set to open early in 2019.