Overnight closures on what must be one of the busiest stretches of road in Cheltenham are set to start tonight.

Resurfacing work on parts of the High Street and Bath Road at the eastern end of the town centre was due to start on Tuesday, but was delayed.

The work will see the High Street closed from its junction with College Road and the adjacent section of Bath Road through to the junction with Imperial Square closed between 7pm and 7am each night.

Gloucestershire Highways say that the overnight closures will carry on through next week and are due to end on September 9.

In a masterful piece of understatement, Gloucestershire County Council called the stretch of road "popular" with road users when announcing the closure.

There will be a signed diversion in place, but because the section of closed road forms part of Cheltenham's notorious inner-ring road - the diversion is lengthy.

The planned closure is just 500 yards in length. Just a little bit more than the average athletics track.

The diversion that takes in Prestbury Road, a trip through Lynworth and Fairview and a view of Cheltenham General Hospital, clocks in at around four miles.

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