Road to close for railway bridge defect repair

The A378 road under the railway bridge will close between 4-31 August

A major road is set to close for nearly a month while a cracked beam is fixed on a railway bridge.

Network Rail said a design defect meant more metal beams needed to be added to strengthen the bridge over the A378 in Langport, Somerset.

The bridge, which was constructed in 1971, will then be grit-blasted, cleaned and repainted.

The road will be closed from 4-31 August and a diversion route will be in place. A route under the bridge will be kept open for pedestrians.

Network Rail said the new beams would stop the weight of passing trains going through older beams and damaging them.

The company apologised for any inconvenience and said it would try and keep disturbance "to a minimum".

"The nature of our work means some extra noise and traffic is unavoidable.

"We also need to work around the clock at times to complete the project as quickly and efficiently as possible," a spokesperson for Network Rail said.

A signposted diversion will direct drivers through the edges of Taunton and back through Langport, or towards The Hill.

In order to avoid congestion on The Hill, parking will be banned on the approach to the Hanging Chapel, which sits above the road.