ACTON Swing Bridge is due to reopen next week following a £1.5 million repair project.

The 84-year old bridge, which is cared for by the Canal and River Trust, carries the busy A49 road over the River Weaver Navigation.

The work has been ongoing on the busy bridge for six months, causing disruption for motorists, particularly during peak times.

From Wednesday, July 19, the refurbished bridge will return to two free-flowing lanes of traffic.

Clive Mitchell, project team manager with the Canal and River Trust, said: “We’re delighted to have the bridge back in good condition and ready to reopen.

“The essential repairs will safeguard the bridge for many years to come.

“Once the road surface was removed it was clear that the steelwork needed more repairs than anticipated, but these have now been completed and we’re looking forward to the bridge fully reopening on schedule.

“As well as strengthening works to the underside of the bridge, a new waterproofing layer has been applied to the bridge deck and this should help to provide a more durable road surface for the future.”

The vital refurbishment work has been funded by Cheshire West and Chester Council.

The Trust and the council made efforts to reduce traffic disruption to a minimum during the project.

They managed to keep the bridge open during the work by dividing the project in half, enabling one lane to be kept open for vehicles, controlled by traffic lights.

At busy times, these were manually operated to allow smooth traffic flow in both directions.

Cllr Karen Shore, CWAC cabinet member for environment, said the work is part of the council’s commitment to ongoing investment in the borough’s highway network.

Cllr Shore said: “This project has shown excellent partnership working between the Canal and River Trust and the council.

“The bridge is now refurbished and ready for the thousands of vehicles that use this vital route every day.

“The council is committed to ongoing investment in our highway network and provided the full funding for these repairs, which will safeguard the bridge for many years to come.”