MOTORISTS driving to and from Evesham along Worcester Road will be diverted for a month as work on the Chadbury to Twyford road continues.

From Monday a stretch of the road will be closed and traffic diverted along the Squires, which will have traffic lights set up at the Worcester Road end.

These lights will be used to allow construction vehicles on and off the site and will be green in both directions at other times. Traffic will still be able to drive as far as the marina from the Evesham direction.

John Barker, site supervisor for contractor Halcrow, said: "Hopefully, if all goes well and the weather is favourable, the road closure could be shorter."

The work being completed over the next month involves building an embankment between the road and river, which will raise the ground level to that of the road, above the maximum flood level.

After this stage of the work traffic will again be able to use Worcester Road until work begins on building the roundabout and 2km of new carriageway.

When the scheme is completed in November Squires Road will become a cul-de-sac, open at the Greenhill end, with a cycle track continuing to the Worcester Road.

Motorists were shocked last month when a row of mature trees was cut down to make way for a new roundabout near the Squires turning. Contractors have since promised to replace them with about 5,000 new trees and hedges.

Maggie Clark of Worcestershire County Council's highways department, said: "It is part of our continuing upgrade of the A44. We have already reclassified the road to be the A44, we have put in the Wyre Piddle bypass and now we are building a more direct link to the Evesham bypass.

"Clearly, if we can draw traffic onto the new A44 we will also be relieving people living along the old route, including Pershore High Street."