A major county route is to be closed over several nights with diversions in place while road improvements take place.

The key roundabout in and out of Cheltenham will be resurfaced over night from July 18 - 21.

The section of the A40 at Benhall, near GCHQ, is in need of a facelift because the surface has reached the end of its life. A total of 420 tonnes of asphalt will provide thousands of daily commuters with a smoother journey.

The work will be done at night to reduce the disruption to the traffic, with the road closed between 7pm - 7am on 18 - 20 July, and lane closures on the final night 21, July. The total area being resurfaced is just over half the size of Cheltenham Town Football Club's pitch.

Cllr Vernon Smith, county council cabinet member for highways, said, "We appreciate there will be a small amount of disruption, however loads of locals and commuters will benefit from this new surface."

There will be signed diversion routes in place. The road closure will extend beyond the works area in order to manage traffic on to these diversions.

Cllr Smith added, "If you need to use this route overnight, please allow a little extra journey time for the diversion. When we close an A-road we need to make sure the diversion includes alternative A roads for traffic to use. It might be the long way around, and residents may know shorter routes in the area."

GCHQ staff are being advised to use the Fiddlers Green access while the work is taking place.