RELIEF is finally around the corner for thousands of shoppers and commuters trapped in one of the county's worst regular traffic jams.
Major improvements are planned at two busy Gloucester roundabouts – the C&G and Wall's junctions in Barnwood.
Gloucestershire County Council has a promising bid for £2.17 million of funding from the Department of Transport to tackle major congestion problems on the A38 and A417 roundabouts.
Since more businesses have opened up at Barnwood Business Park, the roundabout has become gridlocked during peak times.
Customers at Sainsbury's Barnwood store and staff at businesses, including Lloyds TSB and British Energy, have reported regular hour-long delays and, on one occasion last summer, some were trapped for five hours.
The county council has been looking for a solution to alleviate the problem for some time and a scheme has now been developed to tackle it.
It would cost £3.1million in total – paid for by the £2.17million funding bid with the balance to be shared between Shire Hall and Sainsbury's.
The plan includes changes to the junctions, widening of lanes, more flexible traffic light systems and extra lanes.
Council leader Mark Hawthorne said: "We know this route is often congested, creating problems for businesses and drivers. We have listened to these concerns and designed a scheme which should ease congestion at the two roundabouts and in the surrounding area."
Conservative city MP Richard Graham has lobbied transport ministers and will write in support of the scheme.
"The county council has done a good job in putting together a case in a short space of time," he said.
"This proposed solution would resolve most of the traffic problems. I think we have a decent chance of success."
Paul Lane, deputy manager at Sainsbury's Barnwood, added: "Congestion in the area is often a real problem and this puts people off visiting the store."
