Business leaders are celebrating after shoppers flocked back to Burton following the reopening of St Peter's Bridge.
Traders have been hit hard after the bridge, a main route in and out of town, closed on Tuesday, August 29 for repair works.
However, after the work was completed early, the bridge was re-opened to motorists on Friday, November 10. It has meant shoppers returned in their droves, with traders reporting a dramatic upturn in sales.
The three-month closure of the bridge severely impacted on local businesses which saw shoppers stay away due to the gridlocked roads.
The closure was down to essential repairs which were was part of a £6.1 million project to refurbish St Peter’s Bridge and Burton Bridge.
Burton Bridge will now be repaired next summer after highways authority Staffordshire County Council , which is responsible for the work, held a consultation with people and businesses in the town to ask when they wanted the next phase of the work to be carried out.
St Peter's Bridge reopened around 3pm on Friday, November 10, and led to a bumper weekend of trade for many shops.
Peter Hardingham, manager of The Octagon shopping centre, said: "It has been excellent. It is as if someone has turned a tap back on and pressure is released.
"I think people have also been coming down to see what the bridge looks like. It is a marked improvement. It is easy to say now, 'oh it is over with,' but we have the second bridge closure soon."
On Saturday and Sunday the number of shoppers using the Octagon was up by 13 per cent when compared with previous weekend.
Figures showed that the average footfall for the week from Monday up to and including all of Friday that the shopping centre was 14 per cent down when compared to last year. The previous year the figures for Saturday and Sunday were up by six per cent, said Mr Hardingham.
Mr Hardingham said: "So we have had a 20 per cent swing round which is very good. There seems to be a blatant desire to come to Burton."
Dave Chadfield, manager of Coopers Square shopping centre, said of weekend's trade: "It has been good but we haven’t really been affected as much as others. We were down about two per cent footfall and now we will be busy as it nears Christmas."
James Weeks, owner of The Dial bar and restaurant, in Station Street, said: "It is like a tap has been turned on. On Friday we were up 24 per cent, on Sunday we were up 60 per cent from the previous week, and 109 per cent up on Sunday.
"It is a remarkable instant impact. We have lost so much custom. It is just nice to see a busy restaurant again."
Chris Else, vice-president of Burton and District Chamber of Commerce, hosted a meeting earlier last month where businesses raised their concerns over the impact of the bridge closure.
He said: "It is good to hear that St Peter's Bridge is opening. The chamber hopes that the affected businesses will recover. It is encouraging, however, that the council are committed to consult with local businesses with regard to future work on the second bridge which is scheduled for next summer."
