MOTORISTS face five days of traffic jams from tonight when a section of a major road closes.

A bridge is being removed at a stretch of the A59 in Samlesbury which links Preston with Blackburn and the Ribble Valley and serves thousands of commuters each day.

The section between the Swallow Trafalgar Hotel and the M6 junction 31 roundabout could be closed until next Tuesday.

The Highways Agency, which is carrying out the work, has put diversions in place.

The bridge at Gregson's Farm was made temporarily safe after being hit in January by an excavator being carried on the back of a lorry.

Structural checks since the accident found the deck to be unsafe and safety inspectors have said it must be removed. The eastbound carriageway will be closed from 8pm today until Sunday, while the westbound carriageway shuts at 10am tomorrow until at least Tuesday.

Westbound traffic will be routed along Preston New Road-Brockholes Brow-New Hall Lane (A59) and onto London Road (A6) before turning onto Cuerdale Lane (B6230) to rejoin the A59. The reverse route will apply for eastbound traffic.

There will be electronic message boards on the M6 and roadside signs on the A59.

Paul Turner, Highways Agency project manager, said: "The bridge was very badly damaged by the accident and subsequent structural investigations leave us with no alternative but to take the deck off.

"We have scheduled part of the work over a weekend to minimise disruption."