Hull council leader to review Myton Bridge closure disruption

Traffic builds in Hull city centre on Saturday

The leader of Hull City Council has pledged to look at ways to "alleviate disruption" caused by the temporary closure of a key road.

Work to repair Myton Bridge in the city centre, expected to take several weeks to complete, got under way on Saturday.

On the first day, motorists complained of long delays.

Council leader Mike Ross said he would be meeting with colleagues on Monday "to look at what measures we can take to alleviate disruption".

Repairs to Myton Bridge are under way

The road will be closed every weekend from now until Monday, 31 July. In addition, it will be closed overnight during the week until Friday, 21 July. Full details on the National Highways website.

The closures will allow bearings to be replaced as well as resurfacing, joint work, waterproofing and barrier and lighting improvements, officials said.

Mr Ross made clear the road - and the repairs - were the responsibility of the National Highways, but added the council would be reviewing the weekend to see what it could potentially do to mitigate delays.

One motorist complained it had taken him 90 minutes to travel from Hedon to the Humber Bridge. He described the situation as "an absolute joke".

Another motorist said it was "sheer carnage".

Meanwhile, work is continuing on the nearby Castle Street stretch of the A63 as part of a £250m scheme to increase the number of lanes and create an underpass at a busy junction.

The BBC has approached the National Highways for comment.

A spokesman for the government roads agency last week apologised in advance for likely disruption, but added the bridge required maintenance "to keep traffic running on it smoothly and safely".

He said the works would "improve safety and help to reduce the number of unplanned repairs on the [Myton] bridge in the future."