OVERNIGHT closures at Junction 16 of the M4 will continue this week, ahead of further work in the coming weeks.

Contractor Hochtief has said they will be completing the surfacing of lanes three and four of the westbound exit sliproad overnight tonight, tomorrow and Wednesday nights.

The sliproad will be closed between 8pm and 6am, meaning drivers travelling west towards Swindon will have to carry on to Junction 17 at Chippenham before joining the eastbound carriageway to return along the route they have just taken in order to exit at Junction 16 - a diversion of some 28 miles.

A spokesman for Hochtief said: "Although the sliproad closure is not expected to cause significant disruption, we would still encourage drivers to check before they travel and allow extra time for their journeys.

"At the beginning of September traffic will be switched to use lanes three and four, so that we are able to complete work on the nearside of the slip road. This will also require a slip road closure for one night."

Hay Lane is also due to be closed to traffic from 8pm to 6am on Tuesday night.

The spokesman added: "In order to tie the new widening on Hay Lane to the existing carriageway, a saw cut along the length of the new joint is required, as well as some cross carriageway cuts.

"We will also utilise the opportunity to take a number of core samples within the existing carriageway.

"Due to the amount of traffic which uses Hay Lane during the day, the narrow road width and the type of machinery we will be using for this task, we need to temporarily close Hay Lane from Spittleborough Roundabout to the junction with Wharf Road.

"During this time access will be maintained to all properties and businesses within the closed section, although this will need to be from the Wharf Road end.

"While the road is closed, through-traffic will use a signed diversion route."

Cars and other light vehicles will be sent along Swindon's Great Western Way to the Mannington Roundabout and along Wootton Bassett Road before being sent along Redpost Drive and Peglars Way before joining Mill Lane and Wharf Road.

Larger vehicles unable to pass beneath the railway bridge on Wootton Bassett Road will be sent around Great Western Way to the Transfer Bridges, along County Road to the Magic Roundabout and then up Drove Road and Cricklade Street to Old Town where they will then be sent along Bath Road and down Kingshill to Wootton Bassett Road. There they will rejoin the main diversionary route at Redpost Drive.

In a fortnight engineers will be working on the junction of Great Western Way with Lydiard Fields and Frankland Road. This will see the carriageway widened and the traffic lights and streetlights replaced.

The work is estimated to take three months to complete from Monday, September 4, when the parts of the junction will be closed for 24-hours-a-day, although engineers will only be working between 7.30am and 6pm Monday to Friday, with occasional Saturday mornings.

The Hochtief spokesman said: "For the safety of both the travelling public and our workforce, we need to close the right-turn exiting Lydiard Field onto Great Western Way and the right-turn entering Lydiard Fields from Great Western Way. The temporary restriction will be in place 24 hours a day for the duration of our work.

"We will maintain access to businesses at all times, although this might not always be via your normal route and diversions will be clearly marked at all time."

Those wanting to turn right out of Lydiard Fields will be diverted left along Great Western Way to Blagrove Roundabout, before travelling around the roundabout and back along Great Western Way.

Those wishing to turn right in to Lydiard Fields will be sent along to the Junction1 6 roundabout before turning back on themselves and turning left into Lydiard Fields.