Essential work to keep the Itchen Bridge safe and in good condition for everyone who uses it, including people walking, cycling and driving, will move into the next phase from Monday 20 July.

The bridge is an important route for people travelling on foot, by bike, by public transport and by car, and these works will help ensure it remains safe and reliable for all.

Southampton City Council, working in partnership with our highways partner Balfour Beatty Living Places, has been delivering a works programme over the past nine months to make journeys smoother, safer and more comfortable for everyone using the bridge and ensure the long-term resilience and safety of one of the city’s most important transport links.

The project has so far included upgrading the bridge’s drainage system, and waterproofing and reconstructing the footways to extend the lifespan of the bridge for years to come.

The next stages will involve resurfacing the road and footways, repainting road markings and replacing the expansion joints on the bridge following the completion of these earlier phases of work.

To carry out the resurfacing and repainting work safely, the bridge will need to fully close overnight for five nights from Monday 20 July. We understand this will be inconvenient, particularly for people walking or cycling who are currently able to cross at night, but this short period of full closure will allow the work to be completed more quickly and safely.

The bridge will be closed to vehicles as normal from 8pm, and to all other users, including people walking, wheeling and cycling, from 9pm until 6am the next day. During the day, from 6am, the bridge will re-open, with two-way traffic maintained, although there will be some lane narrowing in place while works are ongoing.

Councillor Jacqui Rayment, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “Maintaining the Itchen Bridge is essential so it continues to provide a safe, reliable and comfortable route for everyone who uses it, whether that’s people walking, cycling, travelling by bus or driving. These next works will help ensure journeys across the river remain smooth and dependable for residents, businesses and visitors alike.

“We know these overnight closures will be disruptive, particularly for people who currently cross the bridge on foot or by bike, and we are grateful for everyone’s patience while this work is completed. By carrying out these next stages now and in this way, we can finish this work safely and avoid more significant disruption in the future, helping to keep communities on both sides of the Itchen well connected for years to come.”