Drivers on a section of the A66 are facing weeks of travel disruption while work is carried out on West Cumbria's new water pipeline.

United Utilities is carrying out the water main work from Crosthwaite roundabout at Keswick heading east.

A short section of traffic-light controlled road, about 70m long, is in place, starting about 200m east of the roundabout.

The lights have been put in place to enable engineers to safely install new water pipes under the busy road.

A spokeswoman for United Utilities said the work had been scheduled to be completed outside school holiday periods.

She added: "We are sorry for any inconvenience. We’ll do everything we can to complete the work does as quickly as we can so that traffic flows return to normal as soon as possible."

The work has been authorised by Highways England, the Government body responsible for the upkeep of the A road.

It is due to be completed by the middle of April.

The scheme is part of the project to install 100km of new and refurbished pipe to carry water from Thirlmere reservoir.

A new treatment plant is being constructed at Williamsgate, along with two new pumping stations and two new service reservoirs.

Drop-in events will be held across the area in the coming weeks for people to find out the plans for the next phase of the £300m pipeline project, which is entering its third year of construction.

They will be held from 3pm to 7pm at the following places:

Monday, March 4 - Brigham Memorial Hall, High Brigham, CA13 0TJ

Wednesday, March 6 - The Skiddaw Hotel, Main Street, Keswick, CA12 5BN

Monday, March 11 - Kirkgate Centre, Cockermouth, CA13 9PJ

Tuesday, March 12 - Thirlmere Recreation Hall, Stanah Lane, Thirlmere, Keswick CA12 4TW

Thursday, March 14 - Ennerdale Brewery, Chapel Row, Rowrah, CA26 3XS

The company also holds a regular drop-in session for the public every Thursday between 10am and 3pm, at the Visitor Centre at 32 Lake Road, Keswick, CA12 5DQ.

Residents will be able to meet the project team, view the plans and discuss any questions or concerns they may have.

Project director John Hilton said: “It’s been another year of good progress. We’ve started work on our new service reservoirs at High Leys and Moota Hill and the civils work are progressing well at the new treatment works at Williamsgate. Two of the five tunnels we need are complete and we’re looking forward to starting to re-instate the countryside to its original beauty.

“We’re conscious that a project of this size and scale has an impact on local communities and we’d like to thank people for bearing with us. That’s why we’re keen to give people as much information as possible, listen to their feedback and do all we can to work with local people and ease disruption as much as we can.”

The coming year will see more sections of pipeline being laid and work will start on the last of the project’s five tunnels, which will be under the River Derwent near Cockermouth.

The firm says the West Cumbria Supplies Project will bring more reliable and sustainable water supplies into Allerdale and Copeland, by linking the area to Thirlmere Reservoir.

The project started in Spring 2017 and will be completed by 2022.