Almost half a million pounds will be spent to strengthen embankments at a railway bridge in a Lichfield village.

Road embankments on either side of the bridge at Lynn Lane in Shenstone have become unstable over the years.

A £425,000 scheme to secure the embankments will start on July 13.

Lynn Lane will be closed to traffic for 12 weeks while Staffordshire County Council’s Highways team completes the project, which will see the top metre of the embankments on either side of the bridge rebuilt and resurfaced, and safety barriers installed.

The road will be shut between Shenstone and the Birchbrook Industrial Estate on Lynn Lane while work is carried out, although pedestrians will still be able to walk over the bridge.

Traffic from the west of the closure will be diverted along Lynn Lane, onto Fighting Cocks Lane and Cartersfield Lane before heading onto the A461, A5 and A5127 towards the village.

Shenstone Parish Council chairman David Salter(corr) said the project would be a case of “short term pain for long term gain”.