THE leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has given the go-ahead to release nearly £2million for road improvements across the town.

Council leader, Councillor Clive Sanders, has been asked, under delegated powers, to approve the release of £1.6m to fund two new road improvement projects on the A33 at Popley and Chineham and the Thornycroft and Winchester Road roundabouts.

As reported by The Gazette, the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership was awarded £23million of funding last July to improve some of Basingstoke’s busiest roads, including the A33, Thornycroft and Winchester Road roundabouts and the A340.

This was in addition to a £10million project to transform Black Dam Roundabout and a £4.5m cash injection for Basingstoke’s first “hamburger” roundabout at Brighton Hill Roundabout.

As well as the Enterprise M3 funding, the borough council will pay £700,000 for the improvement works to the A33, which will cost £8.2m in total, and £900,000 for the £8.5m Thornycroft and Winchester Road roundabout improvements.

As part of the package of improvements to the A33, traffic lights will be installed at the Binfields and Crockford Lane roundabout and improvements will be made to the Oakridge Road Roundabout which connects the A339 and the A33, Gaiger Avenue in Sherfield-on-Loddon and the A33/Popley Way junction.

Further details on the Thornycroft and Winchester Road roundabout improvements are yet to be released.

Councillor Clive Sanders, told The Gazette: “This is yet another tangible sign of the steady improvements that we are putting in place to make Basingstoke fit for the 21st century. Clearly all of the work will make a big difference to the way people will be able to get in and out of the town.”