A ONE-week road traffic closure on Sunderland’s Queen Alexandra Bridge is scheduled for later this month.

The Grade II listed bridge, which is 111-years-old this year, is set to close for a principal inspection, involving a close inspection of all sections of the bridge, including rope access work and riverside inspection by divers.

It will all record the current condition of the bridge and recommend appropriate maintenance with timescales.

The closure affects both north and southbound traffic for seven days and begins on Monday January 27.

The bridge will re-open on Monday February 3 and drivers are advised to use alternate river crossings such as the Northern Spire during the closure.

Following the road closure further survey work will be completed from the footways. Pedestrians and cyclists will be able to cross the bridge throughout the inspection.

Sunderland City Council’s cabinet member for environment and transport, Councillor Amy Wilson, said: “Just like house and property maintenance or a car with its MOT, structures such as the Queen Alexandra Bridge have routine inspections which inform maintenance activities."

“To complete the survey in an appropriate timescale and in a safe working environment for the inspection team, there needs to be full access to all of the structure."