WORK on major roads between Stroud and Gloucester will start next month.

The A4173 between Whaddon and the A46 will be resurfaced starting on Tuesday, April 10.

It is one of the county’s busiest roads with thousands of people using it for their daily commute.

Gloucestershire County Council have committed £150 million to upgrade the county’s highways and want the ride between Gloucester and Stroud to become smooth.

The A4173 has been identified by the Department for Transport (DfT) as a major road that would benefit from investment towards improving safety and road conditions.

To improve the ongoing overall safety of this route, the council has promised to deliver a major improvement scheme to resurface 54,484 m² of the road.

Crews will use 6,425 tonnes of long-wearing asphalt with high skid resistance and make improvements to signage and road lining as well as improve two existing mini-roundabouts in Brookthorpe.

There will also be some final drainage work completed during this period.

Work will take place from Tuesday, April 10 to Wednesday, May 23 and a road closure will be in place between 7:30am to 5:30pm daily (excluding weekends).

For the safety of road users and workforce, the road will be closed to through traffic between Whaddon and the A46 for the duration of the scheme.

Local access for residents and businesses will be managed at each end of the closure by crew members and local businesses will be open as usual.

There will be no access for through traffic during working hours and a signed diversion suitable for HGV’s will be in place. The road closure will be lifted each evening at 5:30pm.

Cllr Vernon Smith, cabinet member for highways and flood, believes these improvements are essential.

“This important scheme highlights our ongoing commitment to keep the county moving and will create a smooth and pothole free journey for all road users.

“I would like to reassure residents that we will keep disruption to a minimum and we’d like to thank them for bearing with us.”

Cllr Keith Rippington, county councillor for Bisley and Painswick, added: “This is an important route connecting many communities between Stroud and Gloucester and the resurfacing will have a significant benefit to residents.

Letters have been sent to residents along the route with details about local access arrangements.

Crews will do their upmost to maintain access for residents and businesses when it is safe to do so.