Major roads to close for maintenance at weekends

Weekend closures will affect two major routes through the Cotswolds

Two major routes in Gloucestershire will face closures this weekend as essential maintenance is carried out.

National Highways has told drivers to plan their journeys ahead of the closures, which will affect stretches of both the A417 and A419.

The A417 will be closed between Burford Road Interchange and Quarry Road Interchange northbound between 30 August and 2 September, to "keep the concrete carriageway safe and reliable for drivers".

Closures are scheduled for stretches of the A419 between 6-9 September for the same reason.

The roads will close at 20.00 BST on Friday and reopen at 06.00 BST on Monday over the respective weekends they are closed.

The A419 will close between the Spine Road Junction and Burford Road Interchange northbound.

It will also close the following weekend - 13-16 September - between the Burford Road Interchange and Spine Road Junction southbound.

The Spine Road Junction and Lady Lane Junction southbound stretch of the A419 will close a week later - from 20-23 September.

'Safely and quickly'

The final closure will be the stretch of the A419 from Turnpike Junction and Spine Road Junction, which will close from 27-30 September.

National Highways said the A417 and A419 will be fully operational as usual outside of the roadwork hours.

Sarah Lewis, service manager for National Highways, said: "Safety is our number one priority, and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause but need to carry out these essential repairs to ensure the long-term maintenance and safety of carriageway.

"We understand road closures are frustrating, but by fully closing the road we can get this essential repair work done safely and quickly, causing less disruption overall.

"Once it's all complete, these improvements will benefit road users and the community for many years to come."