ROADWORKS on the White Hart roundabout are nearing completion at long last.

The £32 million project which started in the summer of 2020 had overrun past several deadlines. 

In December, Coun Gary Sumner suggested the work would be finished by March - then revised that expectation to "within a few weeks" when the Adver asked him again in April.

On Sunday night, surprised drivers noticed the traffic lights on the busy junction had been turned on, cones had been removed, and all lanes were open to traffic.

One motorist who regularly uses the White Hart said: "I thought 'Oh thank God the lights are on'.

"It was working quite well for the last few weeks but having the lights makes it much easier because it takes away the stress and anxiety of trying to get onto the roundabout with all the fast-flowing traffic."

The major highways scheme has seen the road - originally built in the 1970s - reconstructed after decades of use created several potholes and other defects on its surface.

The work is part of the New Eastern Villages development which will eventually see 8,000 new homes built to the east of the A419, with several stretches of nearby roads being upgraded to cope with the increased traffic. 

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Motorists had faced a total closure on the roundabout for three months in the run-up to Christmas last year after serious flaws in the roundabout's foundations were discovered and a new, stronger structure for the road's base had to be built. 

The finishing touches to the widened lanes and new A419 northbound sliproad are being made in the coming weeks.

Coun Sumner is cabinet member for transport and planning. He said: "The work to increase capacity at White Hart junction has been progressing very well over the past few weeks, and anyone driving in the area will have noticed the traffic lights are now online and most of the cones have been removed from the roundabout.

“The traffic lights will take some adjusting and this cannot be refined until the Gablecross lights are commissioned later this month. The lights will be closely monitored over the next few weeks.

“There is still some final work coming up in the next few weeks, which may cause minor disruption, but motorists will be very glad to hear that these works at the roundabout, and the Gablecross junction works, are nearly over the finishing line.”