Alex officially opens Castle bridge.
Colchester Castle's new bridge was officially opened on Thursday by the U's first team squad.
U's vice captain Alex Gilbey cut the ribbon, alongside Colchester Borough Councillor Tim Young and Colchester United's Manager Tony Humes.
The condition of the bridge had deteriorated so work to restore the bridge was undertaken to ensure it remained serviceable and safe for visitors.
The work has now been completed, including replacement of the oak guardrails, resurfacing of the bridge walkway, installing lighting within the bridge guardrails and new flag poles at the bridge entrance.
Councillor Tim Young, Portfolio Holder for Licensing, Community Safety and Culture said: "The new Castle bridge looks fantastic and complements the Castle extremely well.
"The work has been completed with minimal disruption to Castle visitors and the result is a wonderful view in keeping with the building's heritage.
"We are honoured that Colchester United agreed to open the new bridge for us. The Castle is an iconic image of Colchester and we are proud to have it associated with the town's football team."
Tony Humes, U's manager, added: "We were delighted to be invited to open the bridge at the Castle.
"We are always proud to represent the town on our travels and to spread the word on what a great town this is.
"The townspeople of Colchester have always got behind their local team, so we were pleased to meet so many of them whilst the photos were taken."
Work only took place on half of the bridge at any one time, so it meant access was available into the Castle at all times throughout the works.
The resurfacing of the bridge was completed overnight with a product used specifically because it cures quickly and was able to be walked upon by morning so that again access into the Castle was not impeded.
http://www.cimuseums.org.uk/castleColchester Castle has been delighting thousands of families since it reopened following a £4.3m revamp last year. For more details on making a visit to the Castle, to explore its mix of hands on exhibits and cutting edge technology, check out their website: