THE bridge spanning the river at Bangor on Dee is to get a £300,000 facelift.

It will be the first significant maintenance to the structure since it replaced the village’s famous stone bridge across the Dee in 1980.

Wrexham Council, which is in charge of the work, says that although the bridge is generally in good condition, the road surfacing, deck waterproofing and joints need replacement.

The bridge’s deck surface will be checked once the old waterproofing has been removed and repairs to the concrete carried out if necessary.

Safety barriers on the approaches to the bridge will also be brought up to modern standards.

Motorists are now being warned they face some disruption as the work, which is set to get under way on Monday, is expected to last 12 weeks.

Temporary traffic lights will be in operation during that time and a temporary 30mph speed limit will be introduced through the work area.

Up to eight overnight closures of the bridge may be required to allow operations to be carried out safely.

Construction work will be carried out by Balvac Ltd at an approximate cost of £300,000.

Cllr David Bithell, lead member for environment and transport, said “Wrexham Council places a high priority on maintaining its highway infrastructure.

“This project has been funded by the council and forms part of the £16.2 million investment in transport and infrastructure projects this year.

“I appreciate the project will cause some disruption to motorists and wish to thank drivers in advance for their patience.”

The original five-arch structure which the ‘new’ bridge replaced is believed to have been built by Inigo Jones in 1660.

In 1970, a petition was set up requesting a by-pass for Bangor-on-Dee and by the end of the decade a new bridge and by-pass road were completed, leaving the old bridge taking traffic one-way only.