A £490,000 project to improve safety on the A685 bridge near Tebay, has begun.

The 18-week scheme will fit a new parapet on the bridge, which runs over the M6 motorway and the West Coast Mainline railway.

Traffic on the bridge will be reduced to one lane and controlled by temporary traffic lights until the project is completed in June. A 30mph speed limit will also be in place.

Work on the railway will be carried out overnight, and at weekends, but drivers on the M6 will not be affected by the works.

Highways Agency project manager Phil Davies said: "This is an important project which will upgrade the bridge parapets on the A685 and reinforce the concrete over the railway. The improvements will be carried out during the day but we expect delays to be minimal and the work will not affect traffic travelling on the M6."