WORK is underway on a £2.8m scheme that will see the a notorious traffic hotspot revamped.

Contractors began removing the double roundabout outside the Moonrakers pub yesterday. It is being replaced with a simple crossroads and traffic lights.

While the work is being done, temporary traffic lights will control the flow of traffic. Work is expected to start at 8pm each night until Friday, although construction workers will be on site before that.

A Swindon Borough Council spokesman said: "During the daytime the junction will be marked out using cones to replicate the current double roundabout layout. These traffic measures are expected to have minimal impact on road users."

Next week the number of lanes around the junction will be reduced. The roundabout will be marked out with cones.

The pavement will be narrowed from Headlands Grove to the Moonrakers junction, with the work expected to take a few months to finish.

Overall, work on the new scheme is expected to be complete by March 2021 and the council explained its decision not to keep the roundabouts in place.

It said: “A number of designs were considered with some larger options, such as one big roundabout, discounted because they would require the purchasing and demolition of homes near the junction.

“The chosen layout will provide the best outcome for all road users within the space available.”

The council also said the new design is a return to the original before the double mini-roundabout was put in place.

It said: “Professional, tried and tested, independent traffic modelling has shown that a traffic light-controlled junction was the best option for this site.

“The new traffic lights will use sensors and technology to monitor, control and respond to traffic conditions.

“The aim of these ‘smart’ traffic lights is to reduce day-to-day congestion by regulating the flow of motorists passing through the junction, prioritising lanes with heavier traffic flow in real time and improving bus punctuality by prioritising buses entering the junction.

“The double roundabout and previous traffic light system did not have these capabilities.

“We are also introducing a dedicated left turn from Cricklade Road to Beechcroft Road for road users approaching from the north.”