TWO stretches of Chippenham's A350 bypass that regularly jam with traffic are to be made dual carriageway.

The £1.2m scheme will make the bypass a dual carriageway from the Safeway roundabout to the Plough crossroads.

The road is currently single carriageway from the M4 roundabout at junction 17, but narrows to one lane just after the Plough crossroads.

The road carries around 27,000 vehicles a day. Highway experts say the single lane stretch of the bypass causes major traffic problems, particularly at peak times.

Now Wiltshire County Council plans to buy land so the road can be made dual carriageway.

Richard Lander, director of environmental services, said: "The construction of the western bypass has removed traffic from local streets, but increasing congestion at the northern roundabout encourages diversion back onto these roads by through traffic."

The improvements will mean a new access to Chippenham Golf Club will be created from the Malmesbury Road roundabout.

Ultimately the entire bypass will be dual carriageway, dependent on money becoming available to pay for it.

Land along its route has

been protected, but highways chiefs say peak time congestion is now so bad around the Malmesbury Road roundabout they have to act.