A MAJOR route into Basingstoke has reopened after being closed for almost three months.

The railway bridge over Worting Road reopened for the first time on Sunday after it was shut to traffic since the start of September.

It was for a raft of structural works to reinforce the bridge and increase its lifespan.

The works were initially due to last from the beginning of September until the end of October, but were extended by three weeks after work overran.

Work also affected train services, with rail replacement buses running between Basingstoke and Andover on several weekends.

Residents on Facebook reacted in delight to the news, with one rather excited resident exclaiming: "Yeeeeee haaaaaa!!!!!!

"Maybe I need to get out more as that really excites me."

Others shared that it was "great news".

The bridge is on the main route into Basingstoke from villages including Oakley, Deane, Overton and Whitchurch, and the main diversion for traffic between Andover and Basingstoke when the A303 is shut.

The delay had forced Hampshire County Council to postpone works scheduled for Pack Lane near Battledown Bridge, between Kempshott and Oakley, after residents raised concerns it could cut off the village from Basingstoke.