A shortlist of five potential names for Great Yarmouth's third river crossing includes references to the town's former fishing industry and Queen Elizabeth II.

The naming competition for the bridge held last autumn generated more than 300 suggestions from the public.

Now residents are being asked to choose from the list of five options which name they would like to see as the permanent title for the new £120m bridge.

The nominations are: Queens Gate, Kings Bridge, Britannia Bridge, Yare Bridge and Herring Bridge.

Great Yarmouth Mercury:

Voting can be completed online using the project website at www.norfolk.gov.uk/3RC, or in person by posting a vote in one of the boxes provided at Great Yarmouth Town Hall, the Shrublands Community Centre in Gorleston, Gorleston Library, or Caister Library.

The poll closes on January 31.

The winner will be announced later this spring with the bridge due to open in summer this year.

A naming committee of county and district councillors and representatives from local community groups was convened at the end of last year to review all suggestions put forward and produce the final shortlist.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Work taking place off Southtown Road for the new third river crossing in Great Yarmouth.Work taking place off Southtown Road for the new third river crossing in Great Yarmouth. (Image: Archant 2021)

Councillor Graham Plant, cabinet member for highways, transport and infrastructure at Norfolk County Council and current mayor of Great Yarmouth, said: “I’m delighted with the fantastic level of participation in the competition so far.

"After much discussion we’ve tried to come up with a list of options that reflect the most popular themes put forward and it's now down to the public to decide.

"I feel confident whichever name is chosen will be one the town can be proud of for generations to come and I look forward to seeing this long-awaited key piece of infrastructure for our region finally become a reality."

Hugh Sturzaker, chair of the Civic Society of Great Yarmouth, said: “The third river crossing will be an important link between the town of Great Yarmouth and the ‘mainland’ just north of Gorleston which will improve links through the area and the development of the port.

"It was good see so many people getting involved and I hope there will be an equally impressive number voting for the final name.”

The new bridge will link the A47 at Harfrey’s roundabout to the port and the enterprise zone via South Denes Road on the other side of the River Yare.