A BRIDGE could be closed for several weeks to allow for repairs after a vehicle crashed into a wall.

The canal bridge on Green Lane, Blackburn, was shut off on New Year's Day after a wall was damaged.

The bridge has been shut off since around 8am that day as it has been deemed unsafe, a Blackburn with Darwen Council spokesman said.

The closure is in place between Gladstone Close and Rannoch Drive.

Motorists are advised to find alternate routes and avoid the area if possible.

The council now say the bridge will remain closed until repair work takes place.

The authority said that a section of the bridge parapet has been demolished and the bridge will be closed until it is repaired.

They said repairs could take a number of weeks as there is no footway on either side of the bridge and any temporary repair would be unlikely to provide sufficient restraint at this location.

The council acknowledged the nature of the damage to the bridge has caused community disruption.

Diversions are signed in place via Preston Old Road and Livesey Branch Road.

The council's roads team said on Facebook: "We appreciate that the closure is an inconvenience, but it is in place for safety reasons. Once an assessment has been completed by Canal and River Trust, we will be in a better position to advise timescales for reopening and repair."