Albert Bridge is to reopen on Friday, December 2, to the delight of motorists who have endured 22 months of commuting misery.

It has been closed for renovation work since February 2010, leading to congestion problems from diverted traffic on Battersea Park Road.

Trade for businesses in Parkgate Road has plummeted since the closure, with one restaurant, Buchan's, even forced to shut down.

The Grade II-listed bridge was originally due to reopen in September, but engineers found repairs took longer than expected because of corrosion and damage to the Victorian structure.

It is owned and managed by The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which has been carrying out the work.

Repairs to the bridge include installing 10,000 new bolts, 40,000 litres of paint and 1,000 tonnes of grit which was used to blast-off the old paintwork.

Councillor Russell King said the return to normality would be a boost for hard-pressed businesses in the area and would ease traffic.

He said: “The closure has had an undeniable effect on businesses in the area, many of which have suffered a loss of trade. They will be mightily relieved that the disruption is coming to an end.”