HAMPSHIRE County Council has confirmed a revised date for completion of work on Tunbridge.

As previously reported, the road has been closed to vehicles since March while workers replace the 100-year-old bridge, on Garnier Road. The project had been expected to take nine months to complete, finishing at the end of November.

However, the county council has now announced that the work is expected to be finished in February next year.

READ MORE: Garnier Road car park closes for cranes as bridge replacement project progresses

The delay is due to a number of unexpected issues, including the discovery of more extensive deterioration to the existing structure, delays to utility works, as well as significant vandalism from an unauthorised encampment earlier in the year.

The closure of the road, a short cut between east and south Winchester, has disrupted traffic flow through the city.

Cllr Nick Adams-King, county council executive lead member for Universal Services, said: “It is essential that Tunbridge is upgraded to ensure that it can be roadworthy for many decades to come. The existing bridge was an ageing structure, and its replacement is a complex engineering challenge, not least due to the presence of many hidden utility cables.

“Due to a series of unforeseen factors, including the discovery of more extensive deterioration to the structure than we first anticipated, the timetable for the completion of the project now must now be extended to February. I apologise for this unavoidable inconvenience, and I'd like to thank everyone for their understanding and patience whilst this project is completed.”

Despite the extension of the timetable, the council has said that steps are being taken to ensure that walkers and cyclists will still be able to pass through the site and that car parking will remain available nearby.

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The council has also added that access to the Handlebar Café will be available at all times.

As previously reported, the café has been impacted by the closure of the road, with an estimated loss of £10,000 in profits during the first three months of the closure.

The café has been reached for comment. It has recently stated that the closure has severely hit its trade.