A bridge in Leatherhead, Surrey, has been closed off to the public to allow engineers to conduct major bridge repair work.
As well as the bridge over the River Mole being out of bounds, the A246 Young Street that runs between Leatherhead and Bookham will be closed for five weeks, Get Surrey reported.
Those wanting to travel from the Givons Grove Roundabout and the junction with the B2122 Guildford Road between 16 April and 21 May can expect long delays.
Motorists travelling between Leatherhead, Bookham and Fetcham would have already endured extended commuting times as scheduled works are taking place on the same road until 13 April, having started last Tuesday (3 April).
A Surrey Highways spokeswoman said essential work needs to be carried out on the bridge for the safety of the public.
“We will be waterproofing the bridge, repairing damaged bridge joints, replacing kerbs and resurfacing the road,” she stated.
It was added that maintenance work is necessary for prolonging the life of the bridge to avoid more extensive work in the future.
However, due to the width of the bridge, Surrey Highways is unable to keep one lane open for traffic to flow through. Instead, commuters will have to use a diversion that is signposted in the area.
This comes after Network Rail reiterated the importance of regularly assessing bridges to ensure the safety of users.
It stated that it periodically examines its 40,000 structures as part of a “proactive examination schedule” to keep the country’s railways in operation.
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