MAJOR repairs to a busy bridge in Durham city centre are due to start next month.

A full road closure will be in place during work on New Elvet Bridge, which starts on July 20 and will last up to 14 months.

Durham County Council got £4.238m from the Department for Transport towards the £7.5m project.

Linking the east and west sides of Durham, the bridge carries an average of 17,000 vehicles a day each year. It was built in 1975 to relieve traffic from the adjacent Old Elvet Bridge and the market place as part of the Durham City Relief Road project, and repairs are crucial for its long-term future.

The works to New Elvet Bridge will see the lifting and supporting of the central section of the bridge, whilst work is undertaken on the deck joints, along with extensive concrete repairs. The bridge deck will be waterproofed and resurfaced, drainage systems improved and protective coatings to the concrete surfaces renewed.

Recommended diversions from different parts of the county are available on the council’s website durham.gov.uk/newelvet

The council has said it will make direct contact with residents and businesses in the vicinity of the works, in the coming weeks.

Councillor Brian Stephens, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and local partnerships, said: “Although there will be major disruption while these works are carried out, it is essential that this work is undertaken.

"We would encourage people to avoid travelling through the city during peak travel times if possible and to plan extra time for their journeys. Hopefully, with more people now working from home, it will be easier to manage the delays and disruption during peak times.

“Alongside the improvements to Milburngate and plans for the bus station, these significant repairs to New Elvet Bridge will help to bring about many benefits to Durham and we will still look forward to welcoming more visitors once restrictions start to ease and we start to recover from the effects of the coronavirus.”