ONE OF Southampton's main bridges is to see five months of road works begin in the next few weeks.

Northam Bridge, which sees around 35,000 vehicle crossings everyday, is the latest structure in the city to undergo work as part of the 'pinch point' funding from the Department of Transport.

The £1.2m works to waterproof Northam Bridge will begin on January 6 and last for 20 weeks.

Southampton Council says there will be no full closures of the structure, which has stood since the 1950s.

Instead, the dual carriageway will be reduced to one lane in both directions and traffic signals amended to 'minimise delays as much as possible'.

Northam Bridge is the fifth structure in the city to undergo these works.

Most recently, Central Bridge was reopened following 18 months' worth of work.

Vicarage Bridge, which is part of the larger Itchen Bridge, will be the sixth and final structure to be worked on, later in 2015.

Councillor Jacqui Rayment, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “We realise that Northam Bridge is a critical element of our transport and highway network, which is why it is of utmost importance that we protect it and ensure its future sustainability.

"Of course, this means a short period of hardship and we appreciate that these repairs will cause disruptions. I would encourage motorists to please plan their journeys.

“A bridge has stood on this site for over 200 years and it is critical that we repair and protect this one now so that it can continue into the future.”

While work is taking place on Northam Bridge, traffic entering the city from the M27 will be encouraged to use either junctions three or five, rather than seven or eight.

The works will involve stripping back the old road and footway to expose the structure of the bridge and providing a new waterproof layer and road surface that should protect the bridge for over 30 years.

Cllr Rayment added: “The council continues to work with partners to influence travel demand to allow effective management of the road network, which is constantly monitored by our Citywatch control centre.

"Our VIP development projects continue to progress, with the ultimate ambition of providing a robust and flexible transport network, to support businesses within the city to thrive and to encourage further economic investment in Southampton, as per the aims of our City Centre Master Plan.”