ROAD bosses say they could finish vital repair work to a busy Southampton bridge a month ahead of schedule.

Hampshire County Council were due to complete work on the westbound Redbridge Causeway in March next year.

But transport bosses say the £1.2million project could now be completed in early February, with two thirds of the work already finished.

The county council’s roads chief Cllr Rob Humby, said: “We have been able to complete a substantial number of repairs on the viaduct thanks to the short road closures.

“We have scheduled in a further five weekend closures starting in February 2018.

“However, as work has progressed so well, and ahead of programme, it is unlikely that we will need to close the road for all of these dates.”

The maintenance project, to repair 21 joints on the bridge, began at the start of this month.

It involved weekend closures of the westbound carriageway of the A35, from Redbridge to Rushington Roundabout, Totton.

For the last two weekends, the road was closed between Saturday night and Monday morning.

Drivers wanting to get from Southampton to Totton were diverted onto the M271, along the M27 and down into the Hampshire town.

But residents in Redbridge were highly critical of the council’s lack of diversion signage, which they say caused traffic chaos.

One resident said the traffic in Redbridge was “hell”, while Gover Road resident, Les Harris, said: “There should have been more signs telling people to go round and back onto the M271.”

Council chiefs promised mores signage ahead of the second weekend of closures, but drivers continued to criticise the scheme.

One driver, Tracy-Kenny O’Neill, took to Twitter to vent her anger.

She said: “There was no signs, notices or diversions in place.

“They really need to get their act together.”

Councillor Humby said: “”I would like to thank people for their patience while we did this.

“Repair work to the Redbridge viaduct is vital if it is to remain open, and we don’t take a decision to close such a major route lightly - which is why it was closed at night and on a Sunday, when it is much quieter.”

The work is part of a wider £20 million project to repair all four bridges of the Redbridge Causeway.

Following completion of the joints, two further closures will be required to resurface the carriageway on the westbound lanes of the bridge.

The dates of those closures will be confirmed nearer to the completion of phase one.

Once that work is completed, transport chiefs hope to start work on the base of the westbound Redbridge viaduct, which was built in the 1960s.

Civic chiefs hope that work, which is expected to cost £8 million, will start next summer.

However, it is not expected to lead to more road closures.