MULTI-MILLION pound schemes to ease congestion and sooth stressful journeys between Cheltenham and Gloucester are now a step closer.
Shire Hall bosses yesterday agreed to invite contractors to bid to carry out large-scale improvement works on the C&G and Wall's roundabouts.
They also approved the next stage of the county's £16.5 million Elmbridge Transport plan, which will see Gloucestershire County Council asking for the planning permission it needs to get started.
The Elmbridge plan will see major junction improvements made at the Elmbridge roundabout, bus priority measures between Cheltenham and Gloucester and a 1,000 vehicle park and ride at Elmbridge Court.
A "hamburger" lane will also be created through the roundabout for the route between the Golden Valley and the northern bypass.
The A40 outside GCHQ in Cheltenham will be widened between Arle Court and Benhall to make more room for buses.
Meanwhile, the Wall's and C&G project will see £3 million spent alleviating heavy traffic which grinds the area to a halt at peak times.
High-tech traffic lights which know which routes are busiest will be installed, junctions will be changed, and lanes will be widened.
The shake-up has been designed to encourage commuters to swap their car for the bus which will, in turn, reduce queuing and vehicle emissions.
Councillor Vernon Smith, cabinet member for highways and flooding at the county council, said: "Both of these schemes show a huge commitment to developing the county's infrastructure and I'm delighted that Gloucestershire's road network is right at the top of the council agenda.
"There's no doubt that these projects will give the local construction industry a massive boost and, more generally, they signify a long-term investment in the local economy designed to help the county to grow and thrive."
The Department for Transport has estimated that traffic flow in the region is likely to increase by 25 per cent by 2040.
And while the two separate schemes will help drag Gloucestershire's infrastructure into the 21st century, the council has admitted there will be "considerable disruption" while the lengthy work is undertaken.
Mark Hawthorne, leader of the council, has asked residents to "bear with us" during the works.
It is hoped construction at the Walls roundabout could start in February 2014, finishing in June the same year.
Work on the C&G roundabout would then start in July, finishing in December.
If all goes to plan construction on the Elmbridge Transport scheme could start in summer 2015 with the aim of having it finished and open to the public by autumn 2016.
