Construction of a temporary road to divert traffic away from Upton viaduct will begin next month.

At a meeting last week, Worcestershire County Council approved plans to rebuild the crumbling structure, on the east side of Upton bridge, at a cost of £2.5 million.

The first step will be to create a temporary diversion road, taking traffic from the bridge through Boye Meadow Caravan Park and back on to the A4104.

Powick-based Laser Civil Engineering Ltd has been appointed as the contractor for this stage of the project.

The caravan park will be temporarily relocated to a site on the other side of the A4104. At a meeting on Tuesday (May 18), Upton Town Council raised no objection to moving the caravan site. The application will go before Malvern Hills District Council planners on June 16.

Work on the viaduct itself should begin after the jazz festival in early July, once a contractor has been appointed. The county council has invited bids and the results will be announced on June 4.

John Fraser, network control manager, said: "There will be a little bit of disruption, but by doing it this way, we hope to minimise it. It will mean full access for all traffic, with farm vehicles by arrangement."

The viaduct will be raised by 1.2 metres, which will mean that it is compatible with plans to raise the A4104 to ease flooding problems.

However, raising the road is just one of many county projects vying for funding in the 2006 Local Transport Plan.

Meanwhile, a public meeting will be held on July 2, at the Memorial Hall, to keep people informed about the work.