On the last two weekends in January, the railway line Birkenhead North and West Kirby will be closed while work takes place to upgrade the Bridge Road railway bridge in West Kirby, Merseyside.

The work will take place on the weekends of the 22/23 and 29/30 January, and is part of the Great North Rail Project in which Network Rail is investing £2.3m.

Engineers will be working on the bridge on both day and night-time shifts. Network Rail has written to local residents and will keep them updated throughout the project.

During the times of closure, Bridge Road will be closed to traffic with diversions in place for motorists.

On both weekends, rail-replacement buses will operate between Birkenhead North and West Kirby.

Anyone planning to travel should check at www.nationalrail.co.uk in advance to see how their journey is affected.

Kathryn Berry, scheme project manager for Network Rail, said: “The work at Bridge Road is essential to keep the road users and pedestrians above the bridge safe as well as rail passengers below it.

“We’re working hard with Wirral Council, Merseytravel and Merseyrail to keep disruption to a minimum. The project does mean the road and railway will have to close over the last two weekends in January. I thank passengers road users and local people in advance for their patience while we carry out this vital work.”

Emma Cowan, finance and transformation director at Merseyrail, said: “The refurbishment of this particular bridge is a vital piece of maintenance that helps to ensure the Merseyrail network remains safe for all that use it.

“We appreciate that this will cause some inconvenience for passengers who may need to use a rail replacement service whilst the work is completed, and we thank them for their patience and understanding while this vital work is carried out.

“Anyone wishing to travel on this line during these works is advised to check our website and social media before travelling for the latest updates on rail replacement services.”