DISRUPTION around Cheney Manor will be eased early as the last stage of roadworks on the £7m project is coming in ahead of schedule.

Businesses on the road leading into Cheney Manor Industrial Estate are eager to see the flow of trade running past them again, and have been told the work could be completed as early as tomorrow.

The section of the road between Bailey’s Corner roundabout, near the Esso Garage, and the ATS tyre depot, has been closed since April 22 while contractors for Thames Water connect the new sewer pumping system to the rest of the network.

The diversion route for anyone trying to get to the recycling centre, accessing businesses or using it as a cut-through to Moredon, is now Cheney Manor Road, Vicarage Road, Akers Way and Darby Close.

Work was expected to be completed by May 18, but good progress has meant workers will be moving off the site early.

Mark Taylor, head of delivery at Thames Water, said: “We are really pleased to say that our sewer upgrade work on the Cheney Manor Industrial Estate Road is progressing ahead of schedule.

“The road will be reopen by the end of this week, which will be one week earlier than planned.

“We would like to thank local residents and road users for their patience as we know this job has caused its fair share of disruption.

“We’re upgrading the sewer network to help people who’ve had the horrible experience of sewage flooding their homes, and to prevent others from going through that misery, so it is essential work that had to be done.”

Just Cars, which had only moved to the area last November, had feared for their business during the disruption in service, but welcomed the news the four-week job has been cut by a quarter.

Chris Harrison, of Just Cars, said: “It has definitely been a lot quieter while it has all been going on. Sales wise it has hit us a bit. It’s like an apocalyptic movie out there, and it has been so quiet it’s unbelievable.

“We are still getting the odd customer through, but obviously quite a lot of our trade has been from drive-through customers. It has not been a good couple of weeks.

“We have heard that it may be reopened early, maybe by this Friday. A few of their workers have been using our car wash, and said they might be gone by then.

“The road has actually been quite nice and pleasant if you weren’t here to sell cars. We are just in the wrong game. Everyone just carries on through it.

“I don’t know if it has truly been as bad as we thought it was going to be. It just feels terrible because you do not get that passing traffic. People have got to make the effort to come and see us, so we are seeing a lot less of them.

“If the road is back open by the end of the week that would help us out a lot.”