A road that can lay claim to being the busiest in Cheltenham is going to be closed for resurfacing work next week.

The A46 through the town centre will be the subject of overnight closures between 7pm on Tuesday, August 27 and Tuesday, September 3.

The closure will a part of the High Street, from its junction with College Road and Hewlett Road and Bath Road, through to its junction with Imperial Square.

The closure will be in place from 7pm each evening through to 7am the following morning.

There will be a signed diversion in place, but given that the closure affects the busiest part of the main inner ring road, it is lengthy.

The planned closure is just 500 yards in length - less than five football pitches - and yet the diversion as advertised by the county council comes in at four miles.

In a humorous understatement, Gloucestershire County Council called the route - which is the main arterial link from the A40 and A46 into the town centre: "popular" when announcing the work.

They have also asked for understanding and patience while the work, which will see a pothole-riddled mess of a surface completely relaid.

Councillor Vernon Smith, cabinet member for Highways, said: "We're laying a brand new surface on this popular route which forms part of our £150million investment to improve Gloucestershire's roads.

"Resurfacing Bath Road means road users will benefit from improved driving conditions into the future, and I'd like to thank local residents for their patience while this work is carried out."

Cllr Klara Sudbury, local councillor for Charlton Park and College said: "I'm pleased to see this investment on Bath Road.

"It's a key route in Cheltenham, with hundreds of vehicle movements every day and local residents will agree it's in need of resurfacing.

"I'd like to ask road users and the local community, to please bear with us while we carry out this important work."

There is no record of whether the road markings leading into the tight left-handed corner by the old Cult Clothing store will be improved.

The faded lane markings and apparent inability of any drivers to be in the correct lane have appealed to the sense of humour of one of the town's institutions: the Cheltenham Problems twitter feed.

The inability of EVERYONE EVER to stay in lane at this corner. #CheltenhamProblems pic.twitter.com/DPysr8DsCj

— Cheltenham Problems (@CheltProblems) January 13, 2019