The upper hall will be closed during the removal of the asbestos cement roof sheeting, to start in mid to late January and continue for five weeks. The roof replacement is expected to be finished in late April.

The Old Bus Depot Markets will continue to operate during the work, with stallholders moving from the upper deck to the Fitter's Workshop and northern annexe, renamed the Lakeside Gallery by market directors.

Land Development Agency chief executive David Dawes said the total value of the project was $2.64 million and included extra works in Kingston Foreshore, including demolishing the nearby former morgue, which also contained asbestos. Capezio and Co is doing the work. The demolition of the morgue was due to occur in mid-2014. The land will be used for residential development.

Mr Dawes said the work area in the bus depot would be closed to the public and sealed off from Wentworth Avenue offices. An asbestos assessor would oversee the removal.

''Temporary airtight walls and barriers will be installed between the upper hall and adjacent parts of the building. Isolation screens and a decontamination unit will be installed and tested before any actual asbestos removal activity is commenced. Air monitoring equipment will be in place to monitor the environment during the removal of the asbestos,'' Mr Dawes said.

The Old Bus Depot Markets are operating this Saturday and Sunday.

They will then close for the Christmas break, reopening on January 12..

The northern annexe, a 1980s addition, will be demolished in stage two of the redevelopment, expected between May and August, to allow Printers Way to be linked to the foreshore. By that stage stallholders will be back on the upper level.

Old Bus Depot Markets director Diane Hinds said she was looking forward to the redevelopment, which coincided with the markets' 20th year in 2014.