PEOPLE living in Hallen are to be cut off from all essential amenities for up to 18 weeks because of work being carried out by Network Rail.

Network Rail will start work to reconstruct Blaise railway bridge, on Hallen Road, next month.

The £1.2 million project is expected to take more than four months to complete and will block the main road in and out of Hallen, forcing residents to incur almost a 10-mile detour to reach shops, schools and a doctors' surgery.

The work was due to start on Monday, April 20, but this has now been delayed until early May because residents had not been given enough notice.

Cllr Francis Fairman, of Almondsbury Parish Council, who lives in Hallen, said: "It is the nine-mile detour and the 18 weeks people have a problem with, not the work that is being done.

"Our milkman won't be able to get to us, our papers won't be delivered for 18 weeks and there are no shops in Hallen. What are people supposed to do if they close the main road? There's not even pedestrian access."

More than 150 people attended a public meeting in Hallen last week where representatives from Network Rail explained the work and listened to people's concerns.

Cllr Sheila Cook, chairman of Almondsbury Parish Council, said: "Most of the people at the meeting accepted that the work needs to be done because of the age of the bridge, but there is concern over the length of the closure.

"People living in Hallen need access to Henbury, especially for doctors' surgeries, bus services and schools.

"This closure will inconvenience a lot of people and make life very difficult for many of Hallen's residents, particularly the elderly."

In response to villagers' concerns, Network Rail has said it will fund a free shuttle bus service to and from the village.

Spokesman Mavis Choong said: "We have been working with South Gloucestershire Council for a year on how to do this work.

"To replace this bridge we do need to close the road, though we hope to not have to close the road completely for the whole of the 18 weeks.

"There will be a fully signposted diversion route for vehicles and we are also arranging a minibus service throughout the day to charter pedestrians from the village. We are waiting on feedback from the local community about what they need."

A drop-in session about the closure with members of South Gloucestershire Council's Highways Department is to be held at Hallen Village Hall on Tuesday, April 21 (4-7pm).