Five months of work on a major route in and out of Norwich will begin tomorrow - with weekend closures ahead.

The £1.6m project for Earlham Road will see new cycle lanes on both sides of the road, a 20mph limit, new zebra crossings and junction improvements.

The work is aimed at making the area safer for cyclists and pedestrians.

Roadworks will start tomorrow (Tuesday, June 25) and will continue until the end of November, with two-way traffic lights in Earlham Road.

The first work will be done at the junction with Christchurch Road, moving towards Heigham Road, as changes are made to give pedestrians priority on side road junctions.

The work will also see four weekends when traffic will not be able to travel all the way along Earlham Road because of closures.

Those closures will take place as follows:

- From 7am on Saturday, July 13 to 7pm on Sunday, July 14: Christchurch Road junction

- From 7am on Saturday, August 3 to 7pm on Sunday, August 4: Earlham Crematorium

- From 7am on Saturday, August 10 to 7pm on Sunday, August 11: Wellington Road junction

- From 7am on Friday, October 18 to 7pm on Sunday, October 20: Mill Hill Road/Heigham Road/West Pottergate junction.

More than £1m towards the work is from the government's Cycle City Ambition grant and £560,000 from local developer contributions.

The work ties in with the £765,000 of improvements which are being made to Earlham Fiveways roundabout.

Mike Stonard, Norwich City Council's cabinet member with responsibility for the Transport for Norwich partnership, said work had been timed for the school summer holidays to minimise disruption.

He said: "We would like to thank everyone for their patience while we complete both of the safety improvement schemes in Earlham Road."

He said the work would make the green pedalway, which goes from Bowthorpe to Broadland Business Park, safer for cyclists.

Over five years, there were 38 accidents between the junction with Heigham Road and the outer ring road roundabout, near Earlham Police Station. Eighteen of those accidents involved cyclists.

What work will be done?

Installing cycle lanes on both sides of Earlham Road between the outer ring road roundabout and Christchurch Road junction.

Creating a new raised table at the junction with Christchurch Road with a zebra crossing.

Providing a new zebra crossing on a raised table near the junction with Wellington Road.

Introducing pedestrian priority across the side roads.

Introducing a 20mph speed restriction on this section of Earlham Road and in the side streets to the north (Heigham Road side).

Making the Heigham Road junction with Earlham Road easier for cyclists to negotiate by removing the central filter lanes, narrowing the carriageway, closing West Pottergate to motorised traffic and installing a pedestrian/cycle crossing over Earlham Road.