MOTORISTS should be breathing a sigh of relief by Christmas after news that repairs on a town-centre bridge that have caused a traffic bottleneck will be concluded next month.

Work has been ongoing on the Corporation Street bridge since January, meaning the crossing has often been down to one lane.

The project has encountered some delays because cracks were discovered in the arches, though the council insist their contractors have not run significantly past the completion date.

However the cracks on the arches' brickwork, discovered when linings were removed, have increased potential costs.

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A council budget report suggests this could be anything between £100,000 and £300,000.

However, strengthening measures have been designed to enable the bridge to cope with traffic, and the 12 months of repairs is nearing conclusion.

A St Helens Council spokesperson said: "The scheme is expected to be substantially completed by Christmas, enabling two way traffic to be restored on Corporation Street."