A CLOSURE is now in place for pedestrians after a railway safety inspection closed a main road in Worcester.

People can no longer walk under the railway bridge in Newtown Road and a diversion will now be in place.

People will be diverted via Sherriff Street, Tolladine Road, Shrub Hill Road and vice versa.

The Newtown Road tunnel under the railway bridge in Worcester closed on Monday for two weeks following a safety inspection by Network Rail.

The closure is expected to cause disruption for drivers, particularly in the mornings and evenings, with traffic diverted onto Tolladine Road while work is carried out. 

A spokesperson for Worcestershire Highways said: "For safety, the footway will now be closed and a pedestrian diversion put in place via Sherriff Street, Tolladine Road, Shrub Hill Road and vice versa.

"This is a 1km diversion requiring the use of multiple existing pedestrian crossing facilities at the signalised junctions."

Information supplied on the Worcestershire Roadworks website shows that the closure has taken place for 'emergency works' which are underway 'to attend to the rotten timber section of the bridge'.