Essential maintenance to the Tower Road bridges is likely to cause disruption to motorists for the next 16 weeks.

Work began to repair and refurbish the ‘A’ and ‘C’ bridges on Tower Road in Birkenhead on Friday morning and is set to continue into the winter , meaning motorists using this route to travel between Birkenhead and Wallasey will be diverted over the Duke Street bridge.

Access to the Twelve Quays ferry terminal will still be possible at all times, however, as only one of the bridges will be closed at a time.

All motorists are urged to pay close attention to the electronic variable message signs around the area for specific details on the closures and which diversion routes might be in operation.

The advice from Wirral Council to motorists driving in the area around Tower Road is to allow more time for your journey as delays and tailbacks are likely, especially at peak times.

Both bridges will remain open to pedestrians at all times.

The scheduled work will involve the replacement of a number of damaged structural steel members of the main bridge structures, together with the application of a new protective paint system to those areas where the existing system has broken down.