Sutton Bridge A17 works: Cross Keys Bridge will be reduced to a single lane

Lincolnshire County Council has today confirmed that specialist surfacing will be trialled at Cross Keys Bridge on September 4 and 5 ahead of major works.

Although the A17 swing-bridge at Sutton Bridge will remain open over the two days, temporary two-way traffic lights will be put in place.

The council says motorists will be encouraged to use the A47 and A1101 wherever possible, in a bid to reduce congestion at the bridge.

Karen Cassar, assistant director highways, said: "The bridge has suffered a lot of wear and tear since it was last resurfaced around 10 years ago and it's vital we repair it.

"Unfortunately, this isn't as straightforward as resurfacing a regular road - swing-bridges require specialist techniques and materials.

"These two days are a trial run and will allow us to better estimate how long it will take to fully resurface the bridge.

"It will also give us an opportunity to see how the temporary lights impact the flow of traffic and whether we need to look at this again ahead of the main works.

"This is an important route for the county, and there will inevitably be some disruption, so we would ask motorists to be patient, to leave additional time for their journeys and use alternative routes where possible."

The main works are currently scheduled to begin on Monday 30 September, around two weeks later than originally planned.

The council says further update on the timings and arrangements for these works will follow after the trial, although previously it has been said the works will go on for a month.

During the trial, the team will also be erecting scaffolding for repairs to the control room.

The bridge will remain operational for marine traffic throughout the project.

For more on roadworks taking place across the county, visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/roadworks

Previously ...

Sutton Bridge: Our readers ask why must Cross Keys Bridge roadworks take a month?

Sutton Bridge A17: Highways warn of "significant disruption and severe delays"

Will it be chaos at Sutton Bridge swing-bridge with roadworks for nearly six weeks?