A section of Middle Road in Warwick was to be closed last night and later restricted to one lane to allow road-widening work to be carried out.

The Ministry of Public Works announced that the first phase of the work, east of Burnt House Hill, will involve removal of a rock face to make room for a new wall and sidewalk.

The road will be closed at 6.30pm and reopen next Monday at 7am, with one lane in operation until next Monday.

Work crews will be on site from 7.30am to 6pm every day.

The Government said: “The motoring public travelling west via Middle Road, is advised to seek alternative routes via Tamarind Vale to Harbour Road and to Burnt House Hill, to avoid this trench work sections.

“The motoring public travelling east is advised to seek alternative routes via Burnt House Hill to Harbour Road … various detour routes signage will be placed.”

A spokesman added that traffic signals and signs would be used to control traffic at the choke point.

Questions on the work should be directed to Tina Beer-Searle, the ministry’s acting principal engineer, on 501-3044.

The Department of Public Transportation announced there would be an alternative routes for the number 8 bus as a result of the works.

The Number 8 bus route will also be diverted because of the roadworks from today until Sunday.

Buses travelling in both directions will take a detour along Cobb’s Hill Road, and South Road and rejoin the regular route at Barnes Corner in Southampton.

A shuttle service will operate on either side of the road closure to provide a service from Barnes Corner to Burnt House Hill and from Tamarind Vale to Cobb’s Hill Road.

The eastern shuttle will use Middle Road and turn back on the Tamarind Vale road closure.

It will use Middle Road, Cobb’s Hill Road and Ord Road to the bus turnaround, back on to Ord Road and Cobb’s Hill Road and on to Middle Road to complete the loop.

Cedar Hill will be serviced every hour between 7.45am and 6.45pm on Saturday and between 9.45am and 6.45pm on Sunday.

The westbound shuttle will use Middle Road from Burnt House Hill to Barnes Corner, on to Middle Road, South Road, Church Road and back to Middle Road and on to the turnaround beyond the road closure barricade near St Anthony’s Catholic Church, Warwick.

Both shuttles are expected to take 15 minutes to complete their circuits and will run from 6.45am to 11.45pm.