Lifting bridge to close for a week for maintenance

A lifting bridge on the Dorset coast is to close for seven days for routine maintenance work.

The Twin Sails Bridge, in Poole, will be closed from 06:00 BST on Monday and will not reopen until 20:00 on 4 May.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council said the annual maintenance work included a five-yearly full structure inspection, electrical safety testing and planned repairs.

During the works, the bridge will be closed to all pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles.

BCP Council has advised residents to "plan their routes accordingly", while a "revised" lifting timetable will be in place for boats.

The bridge, which opened in 2012, and nearby Poole Bridge allow drivers to avoid a six-mile detour and enable boats to pass between Holes Bay and Poole Bay.

Last year, the bridge remained closed for almost three months after a fault was found during an inspection in mid-May.

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