A DROP-IN session is to be held in a village near Selby to let residents and business people meet contractors and bridge engineers before repairs begin on a swing bridge.

The bridge at Cawood is to undergo a major refurbishment of the mechanical equipment that runs its movement, including the hydraulic, electrical and control systems.

North Yorkshire County Council said some components had come to the end of their working life and were obsolete, and so it was to carry out a £500,000 upgrade to avoid a major breakdown. "The last major upgrade was 36 years ago," said a spokesman.

He said river traffic would be affected from October 8 because the bridge would not swing for the full works duration, but the road would remain open during two weeks of preparatory work. However, it would be closed to vehicles from October 22 for four weeks, with a road diversion in place, although pedestrians and cyclists would be able to cross the bridge at all times.

The drop-in session would be staged at Cawood Primary School between 5pm and 7pm next Tuesday, he added.