A CRUCIAL update has been issued about emergency roadworks on a busy roundabout in Cirencester which have caused gridlock and major delays for drivers for just over a month.

A section of Kingsmeadow Roundabout near McDonald’s and Tesco Extra was closed by Gloucestershire County Council in March while an investigation into an ongoing water leak took place.

GCC says the leak was causing defects on the road and began excavating on Monday, March 18 to to establish the cause.

However, over the last few weeks the closure has caused traffic chaos which has left commuters and school buses trapped in lengthy queues during rush hour.

The closure has also had knock-on effects on traffic in the wider area with many motorists taking to social media to vent their frustration.

Cones, signs and metal fencing currently surround the huge crater where the excavation took place but drivers have been left scratching their heads as no one appears to be working on the site.

One resident commented on the Cirencester Local People Facebook page: “It has been weeks and I never see anyone actually working there to fix the issue. The traffic in the morning is getting really bad.”

More than 100 comments have been posted in response.

One frustrated resident said: “The closure is having a huge impact on traffic around the town, I try not to go anywhere after 3pm, every route is gridlocked.”

Another added: “The affect it has on the Grove Lane roundabout is horrendous.”

One concerned resident told the Standard: “It’s an appalling state of affairs, which is causing so much delay and inconvenience on such a major road around Cirencester.”

Because of the concerns, the Standard contacted GCC for an explanation.

The authority said a meeting to discuss the closure took place yesterday, Monday, April 22.

Daniel Tiffney, deputy area highways manager, said that after discussions with Thames Water, GCC was confident that the leak is being caused by natural ground water rather than a leaking pipe.

He said engineers will return to the site on Monday, May 6 once designs for repair work have been completed.

A reopening date is yet to be issued.

“We have carried out our investigation and assessment of the area of the roundabout in conjunction with Thames Water and are now confident that the source of the water is not from a leaking main but from natural ground water,” he added.

“Detailed design work for the repairs is now under way and once this is complete we will be on site carrying out the work.

“This is due to start on May 6 and we will provide further updates as soon as we can.

“A section of the roundabout will remain closed until the repairs are complete and we apologise for any inconvenience.”