AS WORK on Pitchcombe junction nears completion, there will be night time road closures whilst resurfacing takes place.

The road where the A4173 meets the A46 will be closed overnight for ten nights in February and March so the road surface can be given a final refresh, weather permitting.

Street lighting, finishing touches and tidying up on site are planned until mid-March.

Resurfacing works will take place at the following times:

• Thursday 20 February, 7pm – 6am

• Friday 21 February, 7pm – 6am

• Monday 24 February – Friday 28 February, 7pm – 6am

White lines and street light installations will take place at the following times:

• Monday 2 March – Wednesday 4 March, 7pm – 6am

The closures will be in place from 7pm until 6am each night and a signposted diversion route will be in place.

The council recommends vehicles use the signed diversion as it is suitable for all road users and will help avoid local congestion.

Access will be maintained to residents/businesses living within the closure area.

Cllr Nigel Moor, cabinet member for environment and planning, said: “I’m pleased that work is nearly complete, and I want to thank residents and commuters for their patience while we are in the final weeks of work - your new safer Pitchcombe Junction will soon be ready.”

A spokesperson for road works contractors Knights Brown said: “We apologise for the inconvenience caused by the closures but night working is the best option to get it completed quickly with minimum disruption for the majority of road users.

"We thank the public for their continued understanding and support.”

Cllr Keith Rippington, county councillor for Bisley and Painswick, said: “This is an important route connecting Stroud with Gloucester and Cheltenham and residents have been requesting these improvements for a long time.

"I look forward to the work being completed and seeing the positive impact for local people, businesses and commuters.”

The story so far…

Pitchcombe junction has a long record of collisions and near misses and, while some works have been implemented to improve safety, it has remained an issue for the local parish councils, residents and users alike.

Crews have been reconfiguring Pitchcombe junction since autumn 2019 to improve safety and road conditions, after the government found it was a major route which would benefit from £2.16 million investment from the Department for Transport (DfT) Safer Roads Fund.

Gloucestershire County Council has been completing improvements to this key route in phases. Since spring 2018 improvements include 74.46km² of resurfacing, drainage works and two new pedestrian crossings, with the junction being the last piece of the jigsaw.

Further information about the scheme can be found on Gloucestershire County Council’s webpage: gloucestershire.gov.uk/A4173