Work on the Howford Bridge has now been completed, according to roads bosses Amey.

The company carrying out the work has confirmed that temporary lights have been removed on both lanes.

Work on the southbound carriageway of the trunk road at the Howford Bridge, south of Mauchline, was due to have been finished on Friday, April 7.

However, a number of setbacks, including weather delays and the Easter weekend, meant that the work was later delayed until "late May".

Drivers have been faced with on-and-off temporary lights on the bridge for this scheme of works since last year, when investigation work was carried out due to drainage issues being identified on the structure.

Many locals who use the road on a daily basis described the works as a "nightmare".

This was after essential repair work was carried out on the northbound carriageway of the bridge between October and December last year, which followed investigation work in September due to drainage issues on the bridge.

Now, it looks as though road users will get a clear run from Mauchline to Auchinleck for the foreseeable future.

A spokesperson for Amey said: "Repair work on the A76 at Howford Bridge has now completed.

"All traffic management has been removed from site with both lanes running.

"We thank road users for their ongoing patience while maintenance was underway."