Rail services through Rutland will be affected by a £2.8M project to fully reconstruct a railway bridge in the county.

Network Rail is carrying out major work to replace a railway bridge over the A6003 in Manton near Oakham in Rutland, to make sure it remains fit for purpose for generations to come.

As previously reported by Nub News, work will begin on the bridge, which is over one hundred years old, on Monday 12 April and is expected to be completed on Friday 23 July.

Over the three months, teams will demolish the bridge and then install a new, stronger one from underneath. The work will mean train services between Melton Mowbray and Stamford/Kettering can continue running safely and reliably.

For this vital project to be carried out safely, the section of A6003 at the bridge will be closed from Monday 12 April until Monday 5 July.

Network Rail has worked closely with Rutland County Council to minimise disruption as much as possible. There will be a signposted diversion for drivers and the footpath will remain open for pedestrians and cyclists.

As Nub News has also reported, diversions will be put in place.

Gary Walsh, Route Director for Network Rail's East Midlands route, said: "This project to reconstruct the railway bridge in Manton is vital to keep the railway running reliably and to make sure local people can pass safely under it.

"We need to close the road at the bridge so the improvements can be carried out safely and we apologise to drivers, residents and businesses in Manton for the disruption this will cause. We will reopen the road as soon as it is safe to do so."

The vast majority of work will take place without impacting on train services. The main stage of the project – to put the new bridge in place – will be carried out between the last train service on Thursday 3 June and the first service on Monday 7 June, when the line will be closed.

This means there will be changes to train services on Friday 4, Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 June. Passengers who need to travel are strongly advised to check their journey via National Rail Enquiries or with their train operator.