SIX months of traffic chaos on one of Bolton's busiest commuter routes will begin on Sunday.

A £1 million repair to the Bradford Street bridge will mean lane restrictions on the A666 St Peter's Way.

The work will also mean delays for drivers travelling to and from Bolton from the Bury area using Bradford Street.

The work on the wide bridge which takes Bradford Street over St Peter's Way is not expected to be completed before March .

The only reprieve will come in the peak Christmas shopping period when there will be no daytime work from November 21 to January 15.

In the first phase of the work, one Manchester-bound lane on the A666 will be closed and one lane into Bolton on Bradford Street.

Traffic using the bridge from the Bury direction will not be able to turn right on to St Peter's Way and will be directed along Lower Bridgeman Street, Ash Street and Bridgeman Place.

The bridge - which has major cracks - has to be strengthened to meet new European rules which mean that bridges have to be able to carry 40-tonne lorries.

The work will also increase the number of traffic lanes on Bradford Street and eventually improve traffic flows and provide cycle and pedestrian facilities.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.