A main road through Sandown on the Isle of Wight has closed this morning (Monday), for two months worth of work.

Avenue Road, Sandown is shut in both directions, from its junction with Tamar Close to its junction with Perowne Way.

The closure, which came into effect at around 6am this morning, is necessary to allow Network Rail to carry out essential engineering work along the Island Line.

These repairs will see the old span of the bridge over Avenue Road removed and renewed, as well as the altering of the electric rail which powers the trains around Sandown Station.

Read more: Isle of Wight Island Line train works and travel disruption apology

Network Rail says it will help deliver a more efficient railway on the Island in the future.

Power tools will be used to erect scaffolding around the bridge and noisy hand tools will be used to remove old paint.

The route under the bridge will remain open to pedestrians for most of the duration, however, the works will involve a full junction closure of Perowne Way, Morton Common and Avenue Road between Friday, September 27, and Monday, September 30.  

This period of works will see the installation of a crane to remove the old bridge.

Network Rail is carrying out major repair works to Island Line.

Working from Shanklin to Ryde, the £20 million project will involve repairing train bridges, renewing hundreds of metres of track and the closure of the Ryde Pier line.