Residents in Coombe Road living close to the road bridge over the main London to Brighton railway line will not enjoy much peace over Christmas as preparatory work is done for a 20-week closure that will bring traffic chaos to South Croydon and Selsdon.

With the railway closed on Christmas Day and hardly used on Boxing Day, Network Rail will work non-stop from 11.30pm on Christmas Eve to 4am on December 27 to prepare scaffolding as the bridge is prepared for essential strengthening.

The work also includes brickwork on the abutments and ground anchors to prepare the bridge for its replacement during 2013.

The loss of the A212 route for almost half a year when traffic in the area is already snarled  looks likely to cause added chaos on the already rush hour jammed Coombe and Croham Roads.

The narrow arch of the road under the bridge at South Croydon Station and the heavily parked parade at the bottom of Croham Road will provide a poor alternative route with much traffic left to grind its way up Park Hill Road to use the A232 bridge over the railway or to divert through residential areas between the Croham Road and Selsdon Road further south to shoot under the railway at Selsdon Road.

So let the train take the strain, if you can actually get the rail station as Network Rail close the bridge from January 7.

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