Work has started to upgrade the key route along Metz Way and Abbeymead Avenue in Gloucester, including the major junction where it crosses Eastern Avenue.

Work on the Eastern Avenue/ Metz Way junction is already underway and includes providing a longer lane from the Abbeymead direction, where traffic turns left onto Eastern Avenue, and upgrading all four pedestrian crossings to wider 'toucan crossings'.

The traffic islands are being widened to provide room for these pedestrian crossings, which are designed so that pedestrians and cyclists can cross at the same time, side-by-side.

Once the work is completed, the junction will be fully resurfaced. To minimise any disruption, work will be carried out off-peak. There will be some traffic restrictions at the junction at other times, while the work is carried out on the traffic islands.

In addition to the Eastern Avenue junction itself, work along the Metz Way to Abbeymead Avenue route will include an upgrade of the existing pedestrian crossings and better cycle facilities. The new LED traffic signals installed will be able to detect the length of traffic queues and prioritise the junctions with the highest levels of traffic.

Abbeymead Avenue and Metz Way provide access into the city centre for people travelling from Abbeymead, Abbeydale, Coney Hill and the Coopers Edge development. Eastern Avenue forms part of the busy A38, one of the county's principal roads.

The improvements will help reduce peak period journey times, improve bus service reliability, and encourage more people to cycle and use other forms of public transport to get in and out of the city.

All of the work is set to be completed by the end of this year.

GFirst Local Enterprise Partnership has awarded funding of £0.5m towards the work. A further £1.33m from developer contributions has been added, to meet the total cost of the scheme, which is expected to be £1.83m.