It’s expected that a full repair of Albert Bridge in Chelsea can be completed within a year.

The 150-year-old structure has been closed to traffic since the 9th of February the after cracks were found in a cast iron component.

The council says it’s looking at options to reopen the bridge with a temporary fix before the full repair is completed.

But a temporary traffic order will be in place to maintain the closure and this will be for up to a year.

Kensington and Chelsea Council says early indications from its teams and external experts are that a full repair to the bridge can be completed within a year.

The authority says it is looking at options to reopen the bridge with a temporary fix before the full repair is completed, but further exploratory work needs to be completed for this to be confirmed.

A temporary traffic order will be in place to maintain the road closure. This will say a closure of up to a year which the council says is not confirmation that it is closing the road for a year, but a precaution to ensure that, in the worst case scenario of a long running repair, other road authorities are aware of the closure and they can work together to limit traffic impacts.