Delays are likely at the Cleddau Bridge

Motorists have been promised traffic delays will be kept to a minimum when resurfacing starts on a major road link later this month.

A public meeting is being held at Pembroke Dock on Monday to outline plans for the 30-week contract on the Cleddau Bridge.

It will be the first time in the bridge's 30 year history that the road surface will have been replaced.

Pembrokeshire Council anticipates that two way lanes will be maintained at all peak traffic times.

But a motoring organisation has warned some delays will be inevitable.

The work will obviously cause local difficulties as it is the main crossing between Milford Haven and Pembroke Dock AA spokeswoman

The work is the latest phase in a �4m improvement programme for the 820 metre bridge which carries the A477 over the Milford Haven waterway.

The public meeting on Monday - a week before the work is due to start - is being held at the Cleddau Bridge Hotel and starts at 1830 GMT.

Pembrokeshire's cabinet member for transportation Brian Hall, and the authority's transportation director Huw Roberts, will answer questions from members of the public.

"We will be showing slides from other major bridge resurfacing schemes and interested parties can meet the design team and the contractor," he said.

"It also gives the council the chance to publicise the procedures for contacting either the authority or the contractor if anyone has any concerns."

Traffic hotspots

Cllr Hall said it is anticipated that two-way traffic will be maintained at all peak times during the resurfacing work, although narrow lanes will be in use under extensive traffic management.

"Heavy goods vehicles will continue to be able to use the bridge, although control measures will be instigated to control the number of HGVs on the structure at any one time," he added.

He said access for pedestrians would be maintained at all times.

A spokeswoman for the AA said the Cleddau Bridge did not appear on its list of regular traffic hotspots in Wales.

But she added: "The work will obviously cause local difficulties as it is the main crossing between Milford Haven and Pembroke Dock.

"If the bridge was to shut then it would be a nightmare."