Northern Ireland's Roads Service has announced plans to carry out major maintenance work at Sprucefield Bridge on the M1 Motorway.

The road works will run from 24 May to 30 August 2010 and Mark McPeak, Roads Service's Project Manager said: "Sprucefield Bridge was built in 1966 and now requires important maintenance work to ensure its continued high performance in coping with today’s traffic volumes.

"These essential works will include replacement of bearings, waterproofing the deck, joint replacement, concrete repairs, surfacing and replacement of the drainage system."

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The works operations and traffic management arrangements have been carefully programmed to minimise inconvenience to the travelling public, local residents and businesses. However some disruption will be unavoidable.

Mr McPeak continued: "The work has been scheduled to take advantage of reduced traffic flows in the summer period. A series of contra-flow arrangements will be set-up between 24 May and 30 August.

"Whilst these contra-flow arrangements will be altered from time to time as work progresses, the contractor will always provide two lanes in each direction during busy periods. Lane closures where necessary will be restricted to weekend and overnight working. A temporary speed limit will be in place.

"Motorists travelling to Belfast from the A1 direction should note that from the week commencing 12 July until the week commencing 30 August, the city-bound on-slip at Junction 7 will be closed and that traffic will be diverted via Junction 8.

"Some delays will be inevitable and we ask that motorists be patient as these essential works progress," he said.

(NS/BMcC)