WORK on the bridge that connects Barrow and Walney has come to a halt.

Essential maintenance works to extend the life of the bridge have been taking place on Jubilee Bridge for a number of months as a part of a £4.5m programme.

But the last workers are now understood to have left the site as all but essential outside work is temporarily halted under lockdown measures imposed by the Government.

Two workmen were seen on the bridge on Thursday and appeared not to have been obeying social distancing guidelines at points.

Cumbria County Council said the workers were demobilising the site as it prepared for a shutdown for the foreseeable future.

A spokesman said yesterday: “They were demobilising the site and making it safe in interests of public safety. The work site is closed down by the end of today.”

The first phase of the multimillion-pound maintenance works programme was completed in October 2018 and followed months of disruption to motorists travelling to and from Walney.

Story Contracting Ltd, the county council’s contractor for phase one of the works, carried out significant maintenance works, including extensive repairs to the bridge’s concrete under-carriage, completely re-waterproofing the bridge deck and re-surfacing the road and footways.

The county council announced that phase two of the work was to start in May 2019.

Works have involved steelwork and concrete repairs and repainting the Walney end of Jubilee Bridge.

The county council has also invested a further £1.5m in delivering junction improvements on North Road, Bridge Road and Michaelson Road in Barrow.

One footpath on the bridge is still closed.