The bridge would cost £5,056,678, and was to be built by Leonard Fairclough & Son, and designed by Sir James Drake.

[7] The £52.5m contract was awarded to Tarmac Construction of Wolverhampton in October 1992, with consulting engineers Pell Frischmann.

[10] The viaduct was not completely reopened to daytime traffic until February 2005, and subsequently remained partially closed at night for further remedial work to take place.

[12] The bridge's height and openness to the elements mean that it has frequently been the subject of speed reductions because of strong gusts of wind that badly affect the stability of high-sided vehicles.

However, the open sides of the bridge are a deliberate design feature to reduce the likelihood of snow drifts building on the carriageways.

At approximately 8am on 13 September 1971 thick fog led to a catastrophic multiple vehicle crash on the viaduct.