Langwathby Bridge will be closed as a £480,000 project gets underway to improve the roads in the village.
Work is due to start on July 25 and will see the road closed at Langwathby Bridge to the Shepherds Inn for eight weeks, until September 23.
The A686 from the Shepherds Inn to the junction of the B6412 Culgaith will also be closed for up to two weeks for resurfacing, although the exact dates for the work are still to be confirmed. Access for local businesses and affected residents will be arranged with the contractor.
The work includes a full depth reconstruction of the road foundations from the bridge for about 100m towards the village, resurfacing from the bridge to the junction of the B6412 Culgaith and work to resolve the long-standing issues with the bridge deck on structure.
The Coast to Coast route will be unaffected and a safe way through the work for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists will be maintained. A fully signed diversion will also be in place throughout along with open for business signs, the county council said.
Claire Driver, Cumbria County councillor for Alston and East Fellside said: “The essential work on the bridge which will last around eight weeks have been programmed to run in parallel with the road works through the village to avoid separate closures of eight and four-week periods at a later date. Whilst there is never a good time to close a road, our contractors have to work around the environmental window for river works and also when the weather is better to help the material to cure.
“I would like to thank residents, businesses and visitors in advance for their patience and co-operation whilst this work is carried out which will greatly improve the road surface condition for many years to come.”
