Ambitious expansion plans for the University of Gloucestershire's Oxstalls' campus are on track, but access to and past the site for visitors and residents is problematic.

When the university first proposed its plans to expand its Longlevens campus and open a new business school and new sports facilities little would it have thought its biggest difficulty would be the upgrading the T-junction at the site entrance.

But with the opening date for the new facilities fast approaching news has now broken that the Oxstalls Lane junction with Cheltenham Road will be closed for "vital improvement works" - for eight months.

Staff and visitors to the business-orientated Growth Hub and local enterprise partnership GFirst LEP, will also have to do battle with the re-routing of traffic - both their headquarters are on the Oxstalls campus.

"The new junction layout will significantly improve traffic flow, while also protecting provision for pedestrians," said a statement from Willmott Dixon, the highways contractor carrying out the work on the road.

"To minimise impact on the already busy Cheltenham Road and be the least disruptive to local residents, Oxstalls Lane will be closed to traffic from Cheltenham Road until 13 March 2019. Cheltenham Road will remain fully open during this time.

"This will allow for the diversion of key services and the delivery of the new road layout, avoiding the need for three-way controlled traffic lights at the junction.

"Gloucestershire Highways have put in place a diversion that will minimise impact on local residents and keep the busy Cheltenham Road clear."

Residents and commuters have already been battling daily hold-ups at the junction for some weeks since the work began.

A Facebook post on Longlevens Noticeboard by Coun Kathy Williams, reference the announcement, has had 500 shares already this morning.

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