MAJOR overnight repairs to the Itchen Bridge have been completed ahead of schedule.

Transport chiefs initially planned to close the busy Southampton bridge from 7pm to 5.30am tonight, tomorrow and Thursday.

But today the council announced the work to resurface Saltmarsh Road Junction is now complete and it will stay open as normal.

It is part of a £1.7 million project approved by the Labour council's Cabinet to create a cycle superhighway from Woolston to the city centre.

This is despite fears that the severe weather would cause disruption.

Daytime lining works will be completed this week before tree-planting works and junction signals are tested and commissioned on Friday.

Street lighting improvements are underway while a coloured cycle lane surface will be added later this year when the road surface has settled and drier weather returns.

Meanwhile excavation works at the Orchard Place/Platform Road junction begin on Monday, March 17, with diversions in place after the morning rush hour.

Work on Central Bridge will start when the junction works have been completed.