Gloom clouds over the River Ouse in York began to lift today after a winter of flood and disruption.

Organisers of the city's Millennium Bridge project pledged the structure would finally open in the spring - provided there was no repeat of the November flooding disaster.

Paul Chesmore, manager of the York Millennium Bridge Trust, said today that engineers building the crossing over the River Ouse have been battling against quagmire conditions.

The river had come over its banks several times more since the big flood, and was up again today, and heavy rainfall lay on the surface rather than draining away.

"The ground is absolutely saturated and terrible for working in."

But Mr Chesmore said progress had still been made, and the bridge structure itself would be completed within a couple of weeks.

Construction of approach paths along the river banks, including the laying of ballast on to the mud, was more difficult. But despite this, the trust was confident that the bridge would be opened for use by pedestrians and cyclists by the spring, provided there was no repeat of the catastrophic floods of last November, which were the worst in 400 years.

He said final landscaping work, such as the planting of trees and seeding of flowers, would have to be done later when the risk of repeat flooding had eased.

A ceremonial opening of the bridge would probably take place in the late spring.

Updated: 13:52 Thursday, January 25, 2001