PRINCES Risborough will be a crossroads for heavy construction traffic to build HS2, raising concerns about safety and the already busy A4010.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England today published maps of High Speed 2's construction routes.

The map shows that construction traffic, including 30 to 40 tonne trucks, will go through Princes Risborough on the A4010 and on the A4129 out of the town towards Longwick and Thame.

They will also go through Sands and Booker and on the A355 through Beaconsfield. The revelations come on the same day it was revealed the cost of the high speed train could reach at least £80billion- double the original estimate.

Mayor and town councillor for Princes Risborough, Alan Turner, said he was horrified to learn how much the town would be affected by the number of vehicle movements.

Cllr Turner said: "Our road network clearly is absolutely dire at the moment.

"Just imagine with these 30 to 40 tonne lorries rolling in and out.

"Risborough is right on the crossroads for them."

HS2 has been launched to provide a 250mph rail link between London and Birmingham from 2026, with two further lines to Leeds and Manchester by 2032.

Cllr Turner said he always knew the town would suffer but did not realise just how much.

He said: "Clearly from the research that has been done Risborough really is going to be clobbered. "We have got traffic problems in Risborough at peak time, as has Wycombe, and all around here.

"The actual road surface is dreadful. They can't afford to repair them properly as it is.

"They will get worse with 30 to 40 tonne trucks hammering through. It is going to be horrendous."

There are about 16,000 vehicle movements a day on the A4010, but these figures are from a few years ago.

He said safety is also a major concern as the lorries will be going through the town, and he highlighted the pedestrian who was knocked down at a zebra crossing recently.

Cllr Turner also said house prices would be affected as potential buyers will be put off by the large lorries.

He added: "All we can hope for is for common sense to prevail and they drop the whole thing."

Ralph Smyth, senior transport campaigner for CPRE said: "Our maps will be able to show you what the impacts along HS2’s route may be if you were walking or living in the countryside in August 2023 when HS2 is being constructed, or even in 2033 when it would be operating.

"They show that much more needs to be done so that the process of constructing HS2 does not disrupt rural communities and destroy country roads. They also suggest how the final design of HS2 can be improved so that the new railway, if it is built, is something the country can be proud of in decades to come."

Maps are available at: www.hs2maps.com