A Norwich bridge will be closed for part of this weekend because of urgently needed repair work - and council bosses have warned further disruption could follow to find a long-term fix.

Routine inspections of the Carrow Road lifting bridge earlier this year uncovered a number of defects in the timber decking carriageway.

Those defects in the bridge, which spans the river Wensum close to Norwich City Football Club's stadium and dates back to the 1920s, needed to be rapidly fixed.

The deck surface of the bridge is made up of plywood boards, with a skid resistant surface which are fixed down with concrete infill which sits above the supporting steelwork.

But those boards have deteriorated over the years, so holes opened up which needed to be fixed and grouted.

In July, the road was closed for three nights so work could be done.

The major repairs to the holes was tackled at that time, but workers need to return this weekend to complete the work.

The road will need to be closed to traffic while the work is under way,

It will be shut from 7pm tomorrow (Saturday) until 7am on Sunday.

And Norfolk County Council has said there could be a need for further closures of the bridge next year.

They are keen to find a longer term solution, to reduce the need and the cost of repeated maintenance.

A spokesman said: 'The county council is currently investigating a number of options for long term measures to reduce the amount of deck maintenance works required at this bridge and it is possible that improvements could be carried out next year.

'No decisions have yet been made on the long term plans, however any necessary closures would be widely publicised nearer the time.'

The council said it was too early to say what those options were, how much it could cost or how long any road closures connected with that work would last.

This weekend's work, which is costing £18,000 will mean a signed diversion for drivers, although pedestrians will still be able to use the bridge.

The county council thanked people in advance for their patience while the bridge maintenance work is carried out.