“ESSENTIAL” maintenance on one of Hampshire’s busiest road bridges will resume this weekend – after it was postponed due to freezing weather.

The work, to the A35 Redbridge Viaduct, has been put off for the last two weekends, including last weekend, when it fell victim to the Beast from the East.

But road bosses at Hampshire County Council say the work is due to start again this weekend.

It will mean both westbound lanes from Southampton to Totton will be closed from 8pm on Saturday, March 10, until 5am on Monday, March 12.

A county council spokesperson said: “This work was due to be carried out last weekend but was suspended due to the freezing temperatures – which meant the material used to surface the road would not have set.

“Now that all 21 bridge joints have been replaced to stop water leaking into the concrete supports underneath, work will continue to resurface the road.”

As previously reported in the Echo, work started on the Redbridge Viaduct in November.

Road chiefs say without the repairs the authority would have been forced to impose weight limits by autumn this year.

The project is part of a £20 million scheme to save the wider Redbridge Causeway.

Once phase one is completed, road chiefs will look to schedule work on the base of the structure.

That work, costing £7 million, is expected to begin in summer.

The remaining £12 million will be spent on other repairs, including work to the eastbound bridge.