Eastern Road Bridge Works Weekend in Portsmouth Plan ahead

Drivers are being asked to avoid Eastern Road this weekend (14 – 16 October) while essential work takes place on the Eastern Road water bridge. Drivers are advised to expect delays and use alternative routes, including the M275, to get in and out of the city. There will be a full southbound closure in place from 9pm on Friday 14 October until 6am on Saturday 15 October and again at 4pm on Saturday 15 October until no later than 5am on Monday 17 October. During these times there will be only one lane open to northbound traffic. At all other times during the weekend southbound traffic will be reduced to one lane. During the southbound closure fully signed diversions will be in place for vehicles and pedestrians, but drivers are asked to plan journeys in advance and use alternate routes wherever possible including the M275. It is essential that these works, to replace the bridge joints, are carried out to ensure the bridge remains structurally sound. Normally as much maintenance work as possible is done at night but unfortunately, due to the time it takes for the new bridge joints and road surface to set, this work needs to allow a few days solid working time. This weekend has been identified as the best time to do the work after considering commuters, major events, school holidays, Portsmouth FC matches and various other factors. Colas apologises in advance for any disruption this may cause and is very grateful for everyone’s patience and co-operation during the work. To minimise future disruption this closure is being used to complete various other pieces of work alongside the bridge maintenance, such as street lighting maintenance and drain cleansing, this will reduce the need to close the road in the future.