Southampton’s Itchen Bridge will close completely overnight for five nights from Monday 20 July as the next phase of essential maintenance begins. Southampton City Council confirmed the timing, with vehicles barred from 8pm and all pedestrians, cyclists, and other users from 9pm until 6am each night.
During daytime hours the bridge will reopen with two-way traffic maintained, though narrowed lanes will be in place. The overnight closures allow crews from Balfour Beatty Living Places to resurface the road and footways, repaint road markings, and replace expansion joints. Councillor Jacqui Rayment, Cabinet Member for Transport, said the council knows the closures will be disruptive, particularly for those who cross on foot or by bike, and thanked residents for their patience while the work is finished.
The project has been running for nine months and has already upgraded the bridge’s drainage, waterproofed the structure, and reconstructed footways. About 800 metres of kerb stones have been replaced and more than 2,000 square metres of footway relaid along the northern side. The original plan for an eight-week full summer closure was revised after the council assessed the scope of work, re-tendered for competitive costs, and reviewed highway network availability.
The current approach keeps the crossing open to vehicles during peak daytime travel, avoiding the originally proposed extended shutdown. The bridge, which spans 870 yards over the River Itchen, remains one of the city’s most important transport links, and the council says this short burst of overnight closures will complete the work more quickly and safely than alternatives while avoiding more significant future disruption.
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