ROADS maintenance company Amey have provided an update on a closure of part of the A78 along the Clyde coast this weekend.

The closure will affect motorists from Inverclyde if they are planning to travel down the coast towards Ayrshire.

Two sections of the trunk road will be closed for resurfacing work close to Largs town centre, with Irvine Road shut between the town's Morrisons supermarket and May Street between 8pm on Friday, October 18 and 8pm on Sunday, October 20.

Temporary traffic lights will be in operation at the Morrisons roundabout between 7am and 7pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

The second phase of work follows on immediately after the first, with Irvine Road closed between May Street and the Haylie Brae between 8pm and 6am on the nights of October 20-21 and  October 21-22.

Access to Largs town centre will still be available from the north, but traffic heading beyond that point will face a long diversion

The combined cost of the resurfacing works, including recent carriageway improvements in Skelmorlie, amounts to £450,000.

Drivers from Inverclyde planning a trip along the coast to all points south of Largs town centre this weekend will have to divert via the A8 and M8 to Paisley and then the A737 to reach Ayrshire.

A spokesperson for Amey said: “Sections of the A78 in this area are reaching the end of their operational life and require repair to ensure their continued safety and reliability.

"Undertaking this work now will prevent these roads deteriorating further during the winter period, which would cause more extensive disruption and inconvenience.

“This is a complex and challenging scheme, but we are grateful for the support, patience and understanding of road users while this essential maintenance is completed.”