Northamptonshire's Chown Mill junction: £24m work starts at Higham Ferrers

The roadwork will aim to improve the A45/A6 junction at Chowns Mill

Work has begun on £24m improvements to a "bottleneck" junction where congestion has been so bad it caused bus companies to extend travel times.

The Chowns Mills roundabout is at the junction of the A45 and A6, at Higham Ferrers in Northamptonshire.

The work will last for at least two years and involve reduced speed limits and some overnight closures.

Highways England's Dean Holloway said the work was "much-needed" and would "get traffic moving again".

Hr Holloway, the project manager, said: "The upgrade will increase capacity and therefore reduce congestion.

"It will also make the junction safer and improve the experience for pedestrians and cyclists."

The Chowns Mill roundabout is the intersection between the A45 and the A6

Chris Simes, from Stagecoach Buses, said: "Something has to be done. We have had to put in immense extra running time to actually cope with the existing traffic problems.

"So anything to help to get the services running will be beneficial."

Bus companies including Stagecoach have had to extend timetables because of the delays on the roundabout

The junction will be redesigned as a "half hamburger" layout with a new link road connecting the southbound A6 and A5028 with the existing roundabout.

Last month a petition was started to save a centuries-old oak tree which is due to be cut down as part of the roadworks.

Over 6,000 people have now signed it and Highways England said it would carry out "extensive investigations" to try and save the tree, known as Three Oaks.

The work will last for about two years and there will be reduced speed limits and narrow lanes at the junction