RESIDENTS in Stratton St Margaret will soon reap the benefits of a new road serving Marshgate Industrial Estate.

A new link road is expected to reduce the number of lorries coming and going from the industrial estate, and in turn help reduce the amount of lorries using Stratton Road and Shrivenham Road.

At a cost of £120,000, the Marshgate link will run from Garrard Way to Marshgate, which, in turn, leads to Stratton Road.

Gwillam Lloyd, group leader of the council's civil and structural engineering department, said: "It will offer an alternative route for heavy good vehicles.

"It will relieve those that travel in vehicles by offering them an alternative access from Marshgate industrial estate.

"The road will take traffic from the Stratton Road area which is the sole form of access to Marshgate industrial estate at the moment."

Mr Lloyd said traffic coming from Marshgate estate has historically used Stratton Road.

"It will provide a wider quicker route through a non-residential area," he said.

"Residents have had concerns about the access facilities at the industrial end.

"And the borough council has been aware of the conflict with traffic through a residential area."

Coun Andy Albinson (Con, St Margaret) has welcomed the new road. He said: "Anything that can be done to relieve the congestion in Stratton has got to be a good thing."

The work, which is expected to start on Monday, August 12, will last for two months, and will be done between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday and between 8am and 1pm on Saturdays.

The council has stated that there will be access to local businesses at all times and disruption will be kept to a minimum.

The £120,000 work will be carried out by Ford Bros (Civil Engineering and Surfacing Contractors) Ltd.