WINSFORD residents are preparing for more disruption as essential repair work on the A54 railway station bridge restarted on Monday.

The second phase of repairs is expected to continue until the end of May, with occasional traffic delays and the closure of a pedestrian stairway to the car park.

Pedestrians will still be able to use the bridge itself and an alternative route to the car park will be signposted.

County Councillor Tony Hooton said: "This is a major repair project in Winsford, carried out in the interests of public safety as part of the county council's rolling programme of bridge inspection and maintenance.

"The railway bridge is a key link in the town - but every effort is being made to keep work on schedule so that disruption is kept to a minimum."

Engineering services have informed individual householders of the work, and information is being displayed at the railway station.

Some work will be carried out overnight on Sundays when power to the railway line will be cut.

Contractors Galliford are putting up a temporary steel support to allow demolition and reconstruction of a concrete bridge pier to the west end of the bridge and repairs to a central pier.

The work follows on from the first £250,000 phase of deck strengthening and pier replacement in September last year.