Devonshire Road to reopen ahead of schedule

The bridge repairs have been completed earlier than planned.

The road has had traffic restrictions in place since June 4 as part of bridge refurbishment work.

The work on the North Shore bridge, adjacent to the biscuit factory, has involved repairing supporting steel beams that have corroded over time.

Roads boss Coun Fred Jackson says he is happy with how the repairs have progressed.

He said: “Once again, we have delivered essential bridge improvement works on budget and ahead of schedule.

“I am delighted with the refurbishment works carried out at Devonshire Road Bridge which have created a cleaner, brighter bridge for all.

“I would like to thank local residents and businesses for bearing with us during these works.”

Devonshire Road Bridge is the last bridge as part of a Â£11.3m project which has seen a number of the town’s bridges modernised to ensure they remain safe for future use.

The repairs will prolong the life of the bridge for years to come.

New red and white bricks have been used to clad the bridge and replace the old weathered brickwork.

Works to resurface the footway and cladding are ongoing, however during this time pedestrian access will be maintained.

Additional road resurfacing will be carried out in the next six months when it is more cost effective to do so as other works are taking place in the surrounding area.

Blackpool Council initially planned to shut the road to southbound traffic for around 15 weeks but kept the traffic flowing in both directions after being criticised by traders who said the disruption would have an impact on business in the area.