"Initially, they disregarded our traffic management plan and told us their plans would work. Quite simply, it hasn't."

As the Guardian went to press last night, Tuesday, Ms Friar was attending a traders' meeting under the banner: Life After The Bridge.

Together, the traders will decide on ways to entice shoppers back into the town centre when the bridge finally reopens.

The meeting comes as British Waterways engineers gear up to carry out smaller-scale refurbishment on Acton Bridge.

The bridge, which is also 100 years old, will be closed temporarily during some weekends in January next year.

Mr Lawson said: "As it's around the same age as Town Bridge, some work is obviously needed.

"People have been complaining to us for years that it needs repainting, but we haven't done that for fear of destroying any new paintwork the moment we started structural renovations.

"This project should solve all those problems."

The first stage of the project has been completed, with British Waterways advising Weaver Navigation users of the plans.

"This project isn't on the same scale as the Town Bridge refurbishment," Mr Lawson added.

"It will only take between three and four weeks to complete."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.