Emergency lane restrictions on Bridge Road in Exeter are expected to be lifted by Friday afternoon once repairs to the bascule bridge have been completed.
Devon County Council introduced a single lane closure on the A379 Bridge Road on Monday after engineers identified an issue with fixings beneath the bridge deck.
The problem was found during an inspection for other repairs beneath the deck. Engineers identified that some of the fixings holding the aluminium deck in place have suffered galvanic corrosion, which can happen when different metals touch and then react with water or salt water.
This is a known design issue with these types of bridges and underlines why the aging bascule bridges need to be replaced.
The lane has been coned off as a safety precaution and to prevent any further damage to the deck while the repair is completed.
The issue is underneath the bridge deck, so it cannot be seen from the road. The repair requires bespoke parts to be manufactured before crews can work from beneath the structure to carry out the repairs.
This means people are unlikely to see many workers on the road itself, but repair activity will continue beneath the bridge over the next few days once the parts have been made. The council expects the work to be completed by Friday afternoon.