A ROAD scheme to increase capacity and improve traffic flow in Basingstoke has been delayed because of inaccurate information.

Hampshire County Council has been implementing road schemes around the A33 and A340 in Basingstoke, to accommodate new developments.

The scheme in Popley is now complete, and the scheme in Aldermaston Road, which runs past Basingstoke hospital, will be fully open to traffic next week.

But the completion of the Ringway scheme has been deferred because the underground high voltage utility cables were inaccurately mapped in the information supplied by the utility company during the design stage, resulting in the scheme design needing amendments.

Whilst the redesign is underway, the council has taken steps to minimise traffic disruption by stopping the works on the roundabout and opening it up as far as possible for normal traffic use.

Further works will be scheduled for the New Year, after the busy Christmas period.

Councillor Rob Humby, executive member for environment and transport at Hampshire County Council, said: "While I'm pleased to see that the schemes at Aldermaston and Popley have been completed on schedule, we have had to take the decision to defer the scheme at Ringway. This is because the high voltage oil cooled electricity cable was not in the position indicated on utility companies' maps.

"Given the geology there, this means that hand excavation is required around the cable so that measures can be taken to protect it. This unexpected work, therefore, was not included in the original tender - the basis on which the contractor was appointed.

"Our robust tender process on which we award all contracts ensures best value for money for the council taxpayer but, in this case, it was clear that if we allowed the contractor to continue with this unplanned work on the basis they proposed under the current tender, we would be incurring significant extra costs.

"Therefore, in order to minimise traffic disruption and ensure the best price for the work required to finish the scheme, we've put the final works on hold while we seek fresh tenders for the final elements.

"The majority of the work has been completed and we will reopen the road as far as possible to minimise any disruption while we re-tender, appoint a new contractor, and restart the work early next year. We are also looking at how we can work with utilities companies to resolve these issues of inaccurate mapping which often cause us delays.

"I apologise for the delay, but hope people will understand that carrying out the final works in a planned way at a time scheduled to minimise disruption to both businesses and residents is the right decision."