Work on busy roundabout could take up to 9 months

The Queen Eleanor Interchange links a trunk road with routes into Northampton, Newport Pagnell and Hardingstone

Work to improve one of Northampton's biggest junctions could take up to nine months, the local council has suggested.

Highways contractors are due to arrive at the Queen Eleanor Interchange in the town at the end of March.

West Northamptonshire Council said the junction had struggled to "keep up" with the increase in traffic in recent years.

Full closures of the roundabout will be necessary at times along with lane closures

The Queen Eleanor Interchange is about 450m (0.3 miles) from one of the three remaining crosses - which are stone monuments - erected by King Edward I in memory of his wife Eleanor of Castile.

It links the A45 trunk road with the A508 London Road into the town centre, the Newport Pagnell Road and Hardingstone Lane.

The road is normally busy, and sometimes gridlocked at peak hours

The council said the junction was "not fit for purpose" because, as traffic had increased over the years, it had "struggled to keep up, and improvements were needed to make it more efficient".

The project, which included carriageway widening, new traffic signs and signals, and resurfacing, was "expected to be complete by the end of the year", a spokesperson explained.

The work includes carriageway widening, new traffic signs, drainage and resurfacing

There will be lane closures on the roundabout, and on the road heading into Wootton Hall Park, the headquarters of Northamptonshire Police.

A one-way system will be in place.

The council adds that full roundabout closures will be necessary on occasion, but "these will occur at night-time whilst it is less busy and dates will be communicated prior to any closure".

Access will be maintained at all times to properties and for emergency services, and diversion routes will be in place during full closures, the council added.

Peter Ingram, from Kier Transportation, said his company would do "all we can to minimise disruption throughout the project"

Peter Ingram, contracts director at the council's contractor Kier Transportation, said: "We look forward to starting these works, which will bring long-term road improvements to the region, enhancing connectivity and easing congestion for road users.

"We would like to thank motorists for their patience as we carry out these improvements and will do all we can to minimise disruption throughout the project."