As regular commuters may have noticed work has got under way on the A38 near the Aztec West roundabout.

The layby between the motorway and the roundabout is being converted into an extra lane to cut down on congestion at a cost of almost half-a-million pounds.
News of the plan was first published by the Examiner back in November.

The Highways Agency says it will take until March to complete but the work will mostly be carried out overnight to cut down on congestion.

Highways Agency project manager, Mark Arberry, said: “We are creating more capacity for traffic leaving the M5 at Junction 16 by converting the lay-by on the southbound A38 into an extra lane.

“This will not only cut the queues, especially during the morning rush hour, but it will also make the route safer and less congested.”

The downside, of course, is that the fast food van can no longer park there. If anyone knows where it has gone, please do let us know!