A closed bridge will take even longer to repair and reopen - after a pair of blue tits built a nest in the damaged structure.
The repair works to Rushford Bridge on the Norfolk-Suffolk county boundary, near Thetford, are on hold because the birds are nesting in part of the structure which is to be demolished and rebuilt.
All occupied bird nests are protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and cannot be removed, damaged or destroyed.
The nest is being monitored daily and once all the chicks have fledged repair works will resume.
It is estimated that they will take approximately six weeks to complete. The bridge will remain closed to vehicles until July 11.
Repairs are needed after the bridge was damaged by a vehicle over the Easter weekend.
The bridge, which is a scheduled monument, carries the minor Rushford Road over the Little Ouse river between the A1066 east of Thetford and the Rushford estate. A marked diversion is in place for vehicles.
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