WORK will begin tomorrow on repairs to the £20million Squinty Bridge.

WORK will begin tomorrow on repairs to the £20million Squinty Bridge.

But contractors are so worried about the safety of the structure that initial work will be done from a barge on the River Clyde.

Only when temporary cables are put in place will workmen be allowed back on the bridge.

The crossing, which links Finnieston to Govan, was closed to traffic two weeks ago after one of its supporting cables crashed on to the road.

It was found re-inforced steel rings connecting it to the top of the arch had sheered.

A detailed inspection last week found a second connecting ring on the other side of the bridge had a slight crack.

All work stopped until it was decided how to proceed with repairs.

Robert Booth, city council executive director of land and environmental services, said a barge would be constructed on the river today.

He said: "Our concern was there was a second crack so we could not put stress on the bridge, but doing the work from the river means we do not have to go on to it.

"Each cable weighs three to four tons, so when that cable fell it would have gone through a bus like a knife through butter."

The first step will be to fit temporary hangers alongside permanent supports.

Once that is done, workmen will be able to go back on to the bridge and begin lowering the permanent hangers one at a time.

A new connector will be fitted and the cable reconnected to the arch before the next support is brought down. When all 14 are complete, the temporary supports will be brought down and the bridge re-opened.

But the work is expected to take up to six months.

The Squinty Bridge - officially known as the Clyde Arc - is still under guarantee, so the repairs will be paid by contractor Edmund Nuttal, which built and manages the bridge.