A Haydon Wick pensioner has hit out at council plans to dig up part of Thames Avenue.

Signs went up earlier this week outside the shops on Thames Avenue informing drivers that roadworks would begin on Monday, July 3, and are expected to last two weeks.

The works are to remove some of the ‘traffic buildouts’ on the road, which were installed in 1994 in a bid to slow traffic speeds.

Mavis Read, 73, has lived on Tweed Close off Thames Avenue for 20 years.

She said that in the mornings the road was already clogged with cars avoiding the roadworks on Akers Way – and questioned the sense in beginning the Thames Avenue works now.

“Whatever they are going to do, it isn’t a vital piece of work that can’t be delayed until after this Akers Way work is finished," she said.

“If you’re going out on the number 12 bus to the hospital you’re going to need to allow at least another hour and a half to get to your appointment.”

Haydon Wick Parish Council was informed several weeks ago that works would be taking place. But Swindon Borough Council only told parish council staff on Wednesday that the works would begin on July 3.

The planned closure has been met with a mixed reaction on social media.

Resident Lyndsay Kane posted on Facebook: “This should wait till Akers Way is finished. Too much at once again and not an urgent job.”

On Facebook, Marc Reed said that the changes were needed, but asked council highways officers to reconsider their planned placement of temporary traffic lights: “Please don’t delay - it is much needed.”

Responding to residents on the social media site, Oliver Donachie, councillor for Haydon Wick and cabinet member for the Economy and Skills, said that he had contacted highways officials for assurances that the works would not cause residents significant delays.

Swindon Borough Council said that the work to reduce the width of some traffic calming features had been requested by local residents.

They said that the work will be taking place outside of peak hours, between 9.30am and 3.30pm. The contractor has been asked to make sure that the road is cleared by the time of the afternoon school run.

The council said that the temporary traffic lights would be manned for first few days of the works, enabling the council to respond to any early issues.

A council spokesman said: “We recently carried out phase 1 of this work on the Blunsdon Road junction with Thames Avenue, under the same traffic management arrangements, and were not made aware of any issues.”

David Rennard, leader of Swindon Borough Council, said: “I am pleased that this Locality scheme is going ahead, as we have been able to respond to concerns raised by local residents about the difficulties drivers have been experiencing passing one another in the narrower sections of Thames Avenue.

“We have already seen the benefits of the work carried out on the Blunsdon Road mini-roundabout junction and I am sure that the same will be true of the Avonmead junction once work is completed there.”