Work gets underway today on one of Bristol's main busiest commuter roads.

One of Bristol's busiest commuter roads will be closed from today for essential safety work to be carried out.

The council announced on Thursday night that Bridge Valley Road in Clifton would be closed for "several weeks" from Monday - and it could remain partly closed for about four months.

Diversions are in place but will direct traffic onto roads that are already very busy during rush hour.

The closure is necessary for work to be done on the retaining wall above the road, which links Clifton Down at the top of the Avon Gorge with the Portway at the bottom.

The latest monitoring results have revealed that there has been a significant acceleration in the outward movement of the wall, leading to concerns about its stability.

The council says the wall needs to be reduced in height and have scheduled four months for the work to be carried out.

The full closure will be in place for several weeks until the wall has been reduced in height, but the road will then be reopened to single file traffic if possible.

Diversions from the north will take motorists along Canford Lane, Sylvan Way and the Portway; diversions from Redland or Cotham will divert to Whiteladies Road and diversions from the south will take drivers to Jacobs Wells Road and the Portway.

The council's strategic director, David Bishop, said: "The council wishes to apologise for the disruption that will be caused."

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