WORK to replace Wirral’s dock bridge has taken longer than the time taken for New York’s Empire State Building to be built.

The 15 month-duration since the former bridge linking Wallasey and Birkenhead is longer than the 13 months taken to build the Manhattan skyscraper, which towers at over 100 storeys and was built back in the early 1930s.

After starting in March 2017, the works to the Tower Road bridge were originally meant to be finished by December last year, but since then several pledges by Wirral council to reopen it have come and gone.

Despite the delays, the local authority has maintained its hope the bridge will reopen by the end of June.

A spokesman said: “According to the latest information from the contractors we expect the Tower Road bridge to re-open by the end of this month.”

Here are five famous structures that have been completed faster than its taken for the bridge to be replaced – some of which are among the tallest in the world.

1. The Empire State Building, New York

The 102-storey skyscraper in Manhattan – which was the tallest building in the world from 1931 to 1970 – took just over a year from construction starting to completion between 1930 and 1931.

Standing at 381m to its tip, it opened on May 1 – a year and a month after construction started.

It’s now a cultural icon, and has featured in hundreds of film and television shows.

2. The Bank of America Plaza, Atlanta

This skyscraper – the 15th tallest building in the US – was built in just 14 months.

According to the Skyscraper Center website, it towers 311m above Midtown Atlanta, and was intended to be the headquarters for the Citizens and Southern National Bank.

It was completed in 1992 at a cost of $150m.

Its speedy construction was one of the fastest schedules for any 300m building.

3. The Trump Building – 40 Wall Street, New York City

Not to be confused with the nearby Trump Tower, the Trump Building is a 71-storey, 283m neo-gothic skyscraper in Manhattan.

It was finished and opened in May 1930 after just a year of construction.

4. Mini Sky City, Changsha, Hunan, China

Built by Chinese construction company Broad Sustainable Building, who claimed to be the world’s fastest builder, the 57-floor BSB was erected in a shocking 19 working days.

Widely reported by the world’s media in 2015, the 208m-tall building took less than three weeks, and was intended to make space for 4,000 office workers and homes for more than 800 people.

5. St Helen’s skyscraper, London

Deep in the capital’s financial district is this 118m, 23-storey building.

Previously known as the Aviva Tower, work began in 1968 and was completed just a year later.

In 1992, it was damaged in the Baltic Exchange bombing by the Provisional IRA, which prompted a huge renovation.