ON-GOING improvements of the A33 in Basingstoke will be scaled back to ease disruption during the festive period.

Hampshire County Council is carrying out maintenance of the road to improve capacity and reduce congestion, but the county’s highways team will reduce the amount of work from December 7 to ease traffic for Christmas shoppers.

Reduced site work between Crockford and Ringway Roundabout will continue until Monday, 4 January 2018.

This will mean less disruption and suspended lane closures until the New Year.

However, narrowed lanes with cones and barriers will remain in place, as some work will continue adjacent to the road, up until 22 December.

Executive member for environment and transport, at the county council, councillor Rob Humby, said: “I am pleased to see that work along the A33 is progressing well and is on schedule. With the busy festive season approaching, the A33 works will be significantly reduced in the run up to Christmas, to minimise traffic delays for Christmas shoppers visiting Basingstoke.

“I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a merry Christmas, and thank them for their continuing patience while these important improvement works are being carried out.”  

Once the work is complete motorists will enjoy wider roundabouts, new traffic lights installed on the roundabout to allow people to enter the roundabouts more easily and improved drainage.