THE Akers Way repair works have been delayed by a month.

The final phase of the £900,000 project designed to fix the road’s deteriorating surface and improve parking began just weeks ago and was intended to finish at the end of September.

But the council have confirmed that a further four weeks of work is required to ensure the road is suitably repaired.

It was initially hoped that a resurfacing job was all that was needed to address problems with the road’s deteriorating concrete base.

But on closer inspection, contractors found the sub-base was in serious need of strengthening in order to avoid further potholes popping up in future.

Coun Mary Martin, Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for communities and place, said: “I am disappointed that this has come to light, but we have to take the opportunity to do the best possible job because there’s no point in not doing it properly, otherwise we will be back in a year.

“In practice we are completely rebuilding roads that were laid down in 1939, and we want to make sure we get it right.

“I can really understand the frustration that people are going to feel for a further four weeks of this when we thought it was coming to an end and I do thank people for their patience over the past six months.”

The council have described the work as “a complex but cost-effective solution”.

The project has been plagued by delays for months, and people who live in the vicinity will likely be upset to hear that a further four weeks of work is required.

Project manager Tom Wysocki, who described the maintenance work as “a full reconstruction”, said: “The problem with this road is that it wasn’t designed to act as such a big distributor. The amount of traffic running across it just wasn’t anticipated, and it doesn’t help that it’s on an embankment.

“If we don’t strengthen the sub-base, the resurfacing work we have done would probably be a complete waste of money.”

The Diversion route for the last phase of work will continue to be: Purton Road, Moredon Road, Cheney Manor Road and Akers Way.

It is hoped that the project should be completed by the end of October.