Drivers in High Wycombe are worried the town will become ‘gridlocked’ when a major local roundabout closes for repair work next month.

The interchange at Handy Cross in Wycombe, which links the town with the M40 motorway and the A404 dual carriageway, will be subject to a series of multi-day closures this autumn as part of a large-scale roadworks project.

The roundabout will initially close at 9pm on Friday, September 13, before reopening at 6am on Monday, September 16.

It will then be off access to drivers from Monday, September 16 to Saturday, October 5 between 9pm and 6am on weeknights.

The details of the scheme have not been confirmed by the highways agency but are likely to involve repair and reconstruction work including road marking maintenance and resurfacing.

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Many locals are concerned about the planned closures, which could send swathes of motorists down alternative routes, including via John Hall Way, Cressex Road, New Road, Mill End Road, Chapel Lane, West Wycombe Road, High Street, Oxford Road, Wycombe Road and The Common.

Kita Hunter said National Highways “might as well close all the roads at this rate”, adding: “What are all the existing diversions into and around Handy Cross going to do?”

Nigel Vickery, meanwhile, worried over the works “closing the town off from the south at night” and, taking to a local Facebook group, Sully Akhtar questioned why the scheme had been timed to coincide with “when schools are back on”.

Kyle Warwick-Bowman struck a similar note to Ms Hunter, writing on social media: “Might as well just close the whole of Wycombe, Marlow (and) Bourne End, the place is going to be gridlocked – I’ll probably go up to Aylesbury if I need to get into London”.

Some, however, were more moderate in their opinions, with Graham Phelps joking, “Bl**dy council, coming round here (and) fixing our roads, some people are never happy”, and Stuart Perry suggested that, despite the inconvenience, the work would “hopefully improve things in the long term”.

The roadworks order, which was approved by Buckinghamshire Council this month, will officially come into operation on September 13, with a maximum duration period of 18 months.