“DANGEROUS” roundabouts along the A30 in Basingstoke are set to be given a boost by Hampshire County Council.

Residents have criticised the layout of Winchester Road, Brighton Hill and Kempshott roundabouts after “five years of continued flooding” has made them a “massive safety hazard”.

During the last month, motorists have complained that constant flooding has forced them to drive closer to other motorists to avoid driving through flooded areas of the road.

Kempshott roundabout was flooded for ten days last month, and Hatch Warren resident Pete Croombs criticised the county council for not resolving the issue sooner.

He said: “It’s annoying because our rates of council tax keeps going up but the water on these three roundabouts keep flooding. Somebody has to pay for it and its us. It’s become a massive health and safety risk because at least half the road is often covered in water so you have to go into the centre of the road and drivers who aren’t regularly using the road don’t know why you are doing it.

“I would hate for there to be an accident along that road because it’s so dangerous.”

The roads in Basingstoke are maintained by the county council, and the authority said it was “committed to keeping traffic flowing” along the A30.

Councillor Rob Humby, HCC’s executive member for environment and transport said the flooding at Kempshott roundabout was caused by a blockage in a Thames Water sewer pipe.

He added: “To address the ongoing problem of ponding water here, the soakaways have been cleaned to ensure they are working efficiently and we have plans to improve the drainage here.”

Major upgrade work is already in operation at Winchester Road roundabout, which will see the roundabout become wider and have more efficient drains built into to it to drain any surface water.

Brighton Hill roundabout is expected to be upgraded at a later date.

Cllr Humby said: “We are aware of the issues affecting the roundabouts and are working hard to resolve them.”

He added: “I would like to reassure local residents the county council continues to monitor these roundabouts and is committed to keeping traffic flowing.

“However, I would also like to remind people to drive according to the weather conditions, especially during heavy and intense rainfall when it takes more time for surface water to drain.”