A HAMPSHIRE town is set for 14 weeks of traffic jams as work revamping streets begins.

A £500,000 scheme to give a Romsey street a new look starts on Monday.

Highway bosses at Hampshire County Council and Test Valley Borough Council are behind Church Street's facelift which includes installing a shared surface for all road-users.

It is the first phase of a multi-million pound package to make three town centre streets more pedestrian friendly. The other two streets Bell Street and the Market Place will be revamped at a later date.

Hampshire's cabinet spokesperson for transport and the environment Seán Woodward said: "The main aim of this scheme is to enhance the environment and support the economic viability of Romsey’s historic town centre - while improving accessibility for all.

"Church Street currently has uneven surfaces, narrow pavements and relatively fast traffic flows that discourage people from enjoying the area for any length of time. Our scheme seeks to address these problems.”

New street furniture including benches, bins and bollards will also be installed to enhance the overall aesthetics of Church Street.

Two new pedestrian crossing points are included in the project.

The improvement works will be carried out between Abbey Walk and the Market Place and are expected to last for 14 weeks and some disruption is likely.

Signed diversions will set up around the road closure.

More information about the scheme can be found on Hampshire County Council’s website.