AN ailing road bridge is to receive further repairs, causing more disruption for motorists.

The Tees Viaduct had already cost twice as much to repair as it did to build when Auto Link, the business consortium which maintains the A19, announced three weeks of night closures of the structure to refurbish bridge joints in June.

More than 30 joints damaged by chloride run-offs from de-icing salt put down on the road during winter were replaced at a cost of £250,000 two years ago.

Following the work on the bridge earlier in the summer, contractors are returning to the viaduct, which spans the River Tees between Stockton and Middlesbrough, on Monday for the final phase of joint replacement work.

The work is scheduled to last five weeks and will be carried out under full night closures of the viaduct. The central reserve safety fence will also be replaced.

Keith Polson, general manager for Autolink, said: "The viaduct will be closed each week night from 8pm until 6am the following morning to enable the work to be carried out in safety and as quickly as possible.

"When the viaduct is closed, there will be clearly signed diversions which will take traffic across the Newport Bridge.''