OVERNIGHT road closures will be in place for four days, for a £1.9million maintenance programme to replace a bridge over the A38 near Rattery in Devon.

Dry Bridge spans the A38 trunk road between Marley Head and Lower Dean junctions. The old bridge suffered from alkali silica reaction, commonly known as ‘concrete cancer’. It was demolished last year to make way for a new structure.

The steel beams and concrete slabs for the new bridge will be installed across the A38 over four nights.

Project sponsor Mike Hillier said: “Works are progressing well and the structure of the new bridge will soon be in place.

"Following this, work will continue to finish the structure, install parapets, drainage systems, kerbing, new safety barriers and surfacing of the new carriageway.

“The installation of the bridge has been planned carefully to minimise disruption to road users, the work will be carried out overnight but we would advise road users to allow extra time to complete their journeys.”

Overnight road closures of the A38 will be in place from Saturday, February 7 until the morning of Wednesday, February 11, to allow the new bridge, which carries an unclassified local road over the A38, to be safely installed.

A diversion route for A38 traffic will be in place using the A384 and A385 (via Dartington). A separate diversion route for local traffic will also be in place.

All lanes of the A38 will be open to traffic during the day with reduced lane widths and a 40mph speed limit in place for the safety of road users and road workers until the works are completed in April 2015.