Portsmouth's Northern Road bridge closed for five months

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Motorists in Portsmouth are being warned of traffic delays as a popular commuter route closes for five months while a railway bridge is demolished.


The Department for Transport has provided ^11m towards the total cost of the scheme

The concrete bridge at Northern Road, Cosham, built in 1927, has become too weak to carry four lanes of traffic.

Around 1,500 cars an hour are being diverted through Paulsgrove and Hilsea while it is closed. It will remain open to buses, taxis and emergency vehicles.

A replacement bridge costing ^12.5m is expected to be in place by July.

"The bridge is suffering from crumbling concrete and is near the end of its working life. There's a risk of concrete falling on to the railway," a Portsmouth Council spokesman said.

Businesses will remain open as usual with free on-street parking for an hour in central Cosham.

[Brucey]

The alternative route through Cosham High Street has now been made one-way, with a back street used for the opposite direction.  Very confusing, not well signposted and cones everywhere.

My advice would be to avoid the area at all costs.