WORK to demolish a motorway bridge could cost lorry drivers thousands of pound.

As previously reported, the M27 will be closed from junctions three to five from 10pm on Friday to allow work to demolish the Romsey Road bridge.

Westbound traffic faces a huge 58 mile diversion, driving up as far as Andover and the A303, out to Salisbury and back round to Southampton.

And while some traffic may instead opt to use smaller local routes - clogging up Southampton and Romsey roads in the process - larger traffic will likely face the full diversion.

This will turn a ten-minute drive into a two-hour loop of Hampshire.

As previously reported, 364 lorries on average go through Southampton every day.

Now the Road Haulage Association (RHA) has said a single trip along the diversion route would cost a haulier an extra £35 in fuel alone.

The RHA said the overall impact the closure will have on hauliers is “unquantifiable” and “immense”.

In a statement the RHA said: “Based on an average fuel consumption of just over eight miles to the gallon, the cost of travelling the stretch to be repaired would typically cost £1.17 in fuel.

"An additional 58 miles will see that soar to nearly £35 one way.

"At a time when a typical hauliers’ profit margins are 1-2%, the impact of this diversion will hit hard. Delivery times will also be affected and many drivers will be forced to park up to take statutory rest breaks on the route, with some even needing to park up overnight.

"It is also inevitable that drivers will be tempted to use other shorter routes, some of which may not be suitable for lorries.”

As previously reported, Romsey Road bridge carries the A3057 over the M27 between Upton and Nursling.

Highways England said the replacement bridge has a different design and will have a lifespan of 120 years.

Highways England said it wrote to the RHA about the closure and the scheme in March 2018 and last month.

Highways England route sponsor John Henderson said: “Completing these key phases of work at the weekend means that restrictions can be kept to a minimum at other, busier, times and we have chosen diversions that are the most suitable for the type and volume of traffic that usually uses the M27.”

After the first weekend of work this year, the M27 will be closed again next year, April 26 to 29 and between October 18 and 21.