The reopening of Blackhorse Lane Bridge has been delayed until 2020 despite promises repairs would be completed in January.

Croydon Council has branded the delay on the 120-year-old bridge ‘unacceptable’.

Work on the bridge started this summer and Addiscombe Park Bridge owned by Croydon Council is being replaced at the same time.

MP for central Croydon Sarah Jones said she is frustrated at the set back – especially as her constituency office is in the same road.

She said: “Like all the residents I am deeply frustrated I set up my office there knowing it was a great spot in the middle and it’s really good for the tram but also so people can come from across Croydon easily.

“What I am hoping it that perhaps we can work out a way to open the bridge earlier.

“One of the things they (TfL) said was that in order to stick to the original deadline they would have to shut the whole bridge to pedestrians as well as cars.

“And the view was that was too much. I do understand that when you do something complicated there might be unforeseen circumstances.”

The Labour MP added that she wants TfL to compensate businesses in the areas most severely affected by the works.

The delay was announced at a full council meeting on Monday (October 8) by Croydon’s cabinet member for Transport and Environment.

Cllr Stuart King said: “I wish to report to council the possibility of a delay in this joint council and TfL major project to replace two bridges at this location.

“This project is managed by TfL and earlier this year they appointed Morgan Sindall as their principle contractor.

“Morgan Sindall has recently completed and submitted their statement of work which proposes a completion date early in 2020.

“I can state quite categorically that a delay until 2020 is simply not acceptable to this council consequently a written objection has been submitted by the council with a request for a formal statement of what changes to the project have caused this delay, what practical proposals are in place to shorten the time of the programme, what practical steps TfL have taken to reduce the delay and what sanctions are in the contract between TfL and Morgan Sindall.”

Speaking after the meeting, leader of the council’s Conservative opposition Cllr Tim Pollard said he was not surprised the completion date has been postponed again.

He said: “It has been impossible to get to the bottom of why it has been pushed back.

“We’ve been trying for a well over a year to understand what the delays are caused by.

“We were canvassing in that area before the May elections everyone was saying it has been having a huge impact.

“There are people who take their children to school on one side of it. It is putting a huge amount of strain on the crossings on the other side and it is creating a lot of local traffic jams and delays.

“I think it is a complicated project because there are two bodies involved but they are used to talking and I would hope that they would be able to talk to each other.”