WORK has begun to strengthen a Grade-II listed railway bridge.

Engineers from Network Rail will spend more than a month bolstering the structure of the the historic Stoneclough Road bridge next to Kearsley Station.

Motorists have been warned that the scheme will continue to cause delays in the area after it began on Monday, October 21.

Temporary traffic lights will be in use on Stoneclough Road from Monday, October 28, until work finishes on Friday, December 13.

At some points the road will need to be entirely closed to traffic. This is expected to happen overnight on Saturday, October 26, and Saturday, November 2.

Sarah Padmore, scheme project manager for Network Rail, warned drivers of the delays but said the work had been arranged to take place at night in an effort to limit problems on the roads.

“We are carrying out repairs to a bridge which spans Stoneclough Road in Kearsley as part of the Great North Rail Project," she said.

“The work is vital to ensure the bridge remains safe and reliable for passengers and road users.

"We are grateful for the patience of the local community while the repairs are undertaken and will do all we can to minimise disruption.”

Network Rail has written to residents and visited houses nearby to warn people living in the area that some of the night time work will be noisy.

However, train services are not expected to be affected by the work.

This project is part of the government's Great North Rail Project, which is hoped to enable 2,000 extra services a day by 2022, carrying 40,000 more passengers.

For more information, visit: www.networkrail.co.uk.