WORK building Sheppey's long-awaited second bridge is due to start in the summer of 2003, Roads Minister David Jamieson announced today.

Mr Jamieson, who was visiting Queenborough and Kingsferry Bridge - the Island's current link to the mainland - said work will be funded and operated under a design, build, finance and operate contract as part of a public -private partnership. The new high-span crossing is expected to operating by the summer of 2006.

Peter Minshull, a Highways Agency spokesman, said that whoever won the contract would be expected to operate and maintain the bridge for 30 years. Mr Minshull said the money given to the successful contractor would depend on the journey time for vehciles using the crossing, reliability and an annual review.

If the bridge was poorly operated and journey times were bad then payments would be reduced.