Work on Kingsbridge's major culvert replacement project has reached another significant milestone, with engineers successfully installing a further 16.5 metres of new pipework beneath Fore Street.

The latest progress comes after several weeks of largely hand-digging in challenging conditions.

Contractors have carefully manoeuvred each section of pipe into the narrow trench, navigating around existing utility services before precisely joining and levelling them to ensure water can flow as efficiently as possible.

Concrete is expected to arrive on site and will be poured around the newly installed manholes and alongside the pipework to strengthen the structure ahead of the next phase of works.

An additional workforce is also due to join the project to begin reinstating kerbstones and sections of paving, helping the town centre start to take shape again after months of disruption.

Looking ahead, plans are in place to install new tree planters, bringing greenery back to the area once the heavy engineering work is complete.

The excavation has also uncovered several artefacts offering a glimpse into Kingsbridge's past, including well-preserved bottles, a cow horn and sheep's teeth.

The bottles are expected to be offered to Cookworthy Museum as part of its collection of local historical items.

Meanwhile, students from Kingsbridge Community College were given a unique opportunity to see the project first-hand earlier this month.

Invited by Kingsbridge Town Council and the engineering team, the school's aspiring engineers toured the site and went underground to witness the work in progress.

In a statement, the college described the visit as "educational and inspiring", thanking those involved for sharing their expertise and providing insight into the planning, problem-solving and teamwork required to deliver such a complex engineering project.

With visible progress now being made week by week, the transformation of the town centre is becoming increasingly apparent.