Blundering council contractors were left red-faced after they lowered this bridge into place – and discovered it was too large.
The 12ft long cycle bridge was carried by crane to Mill Road, in Cambridge, Cambs., on Tuesday as part of a £225,000 project to update the city’s bike network.
But the metal structure was too large to fit into pre-built moorings on the stream banks because blundering workmen had built it two feet too long.
Paul Sales, 65, said disappointed neighbours and the city’s cyclists have waiting 10 weeks for the new bridge to open.
He said: ”There were about a dozen men in hard hats and there was much pointing and scratching of heads and they were not happy at all.
”It’s awfully embarrassing. It’s only a small gap how can you get it so wrong?”
The bridge was picked up by a crane and lifted onto a truck before being driven back to the contractors’ base to be shortened.
David Earl of Cambridge Cycling Campaign said: ”It was a huge disappointment to see the culmination of this excellent new facility marred by this gross error of engineering.”
The bridge should have been available for use by Thursday, March 24, but the opening will now have to be delayed.
A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesman said: ”This is an error made by one of our contractors and they will be paying to correct the fault.”