A road bridge over the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal that connects the city's Hempstead Lane with the Bristol Road is set to close for seven days for vital repairs.

The High Orchard Bridge on St Ann's Way is adjacent to the city's Sainsbury's superstore and delays are expected as traffic is redirected from 6am on May 6 (this Monday) until May 13.

The bascule-design lift bridge was completed in 2008 and hit the headlines only weeks ago when cracks detected in safety checks prevented it from being raised to allow tall ships to pass through.

Work to fix the issues detected by the Canal and Rivers Trust (CRT) will now trigger a diversion that sends drivers and cyclists to the A430 along Castle Meads Way St Oswalds Road, Gouda Way, Black Dog Way, Bruton Way and Trier Way. The bridge will also be closed to pedestrians.

The CRT has indicated that the action is vital ahead of Gloucester's Tall Ships Festival, which takes place over the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of this month.

The Festival, which will this year include vessels from Ridley Scott's movie Napoleon and the TS Irene, from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, is a crucial revenue event for Gloucester. In 2019, it was calculated that the event generated £11.2m for the city.