Villagers in Chalfont St Peter have been warned to avoid their local high street as Buckinghamshire Council kicks off a two-day roadworks project.

Crews closed a 119-metre stretch of the village high street at 9:30am today, Wednesday, August 28, for road improvement works. 

The Vale, a nearby residential road, was also closed at 9:30am, with highways teams blocking off a 79-metre stretch for emergency repairs.

The scheme means drivers heading along both roads will have to find alternative routes until 3:30pm, when both closures are lifted.

Buckinghamshire Highways will also close The Vale for the same six-hour period tomorrow, Thursday, August 29.

An indicated diversion for the high street takes motorists through Gravel Hill, the Chalfont St Peter bypass, Kingsway and Lower Road.

Meanwhile, the alternative route for the residential stretch takes motorists from The Vale down Laurel Road, Lansdown Road, Nicol Road, Gold Hill North and the Market Place, and vice versa.

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It comes after Buckinghamshire Council’s cabinet member for transport Steven Broadbent cautioned locals of “a massive increase of roadworks on the county’s network” earlier this summer.

He said: “The truth is, utility firms are dealing with ageing pipes and networks that need repairs and upgrades. At the same time, demand for higher broadband speeds means lots of new cable is being laid. The council itself is also investing £110 million in the county’s roads, in a major programme of repairs and improvements works.

“Emergency works, which can’t be planned for, add another challenge into the mix. These companies have a legal right to access their assets, so with the high level of planned works in the coming months, we’re telling people, if you need to travel on the local road network and to be somewhere by a certain time – please check before you travel, even if it’s a routine journey to school or work.”