A MAJOR Southampton bridge is to be shut for five nights next week due to pigeons.

The Itchen Bridge will close from 10pm to 6am for five nights in a row starting from October 28.

The closure is to allow engineers to inspect the bridge and to install mesh to deter pigeons, leaving drivers with a three mile diversion.

According to Southampton City Council the bridge will close from its junction with Albert Road North to its junction with Portsmouth Road.

Drivers will be diverted through Portsmouth Road, Bridge Road, Peartree Avenue, Bitterne Road, Bitterne Road West, Northam Bridge, Northam Road down to Albert Road North.

In a statement the city council said: “The main reason for the bridge closure is to conduct an inspection of the bridge. The bridge will be closed overnight as the entrance to the inspection tunnel that runs through the bridge is in the centre of the road, this means for safety reasons we need to prevent traffic using the bridge.”

The news comes as earlier this month the council announced a number of roadworks along The Avenue for the next 20 weeks to allow work for a new cycle lane.

As previously reported, toll fees for the Itchen Bridge rose in June this year. Drivers who are not residents of Southampton are now asked to pay 70p when crossing the bridge during off peak hours and 80p during pick time. Meanwhile, the bridge toll for cars, small vans and small 4x4s increased from 50p to 60p at peak time.

The move is expected to raise £510,000 a year. The city council had previously said covering the running costs of the bridge and managing congestion are the two main reasons for maintaining a toll for crossing the bridge.