Work gets underway this week to significantly improve traffic flow around one of the busiest roundabouts in Hamilton.

The £1.23m improvement of the Almada St Roundabout, at its junction with Muir St and Bothwell Road, is the sixth and final phase of the Hamilton Town Centre Action Plan.

Work will begin at the roundabout on Monday June 23 with two lane/two way traffic flow maintained during peak periods. There will be reduced lane widths to enable the work to be carried out.

Councillor Chris Thompson, the chair of South Lanarkshire Council's Enterprise Resources Committee, said: "These improvements will greatly improve traffic flow in Hamilton, particularly in the areas around the town centre.

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"The existing roundabout is already operating at capacity and delays are frequently experienced by road users at peak times. We are therefore confident the widening of the roundabout will combat these problems.

"This project is something that the council has been attempting to carry out for a number of years but several factors have held up the work. So I am delighted that we are now at the stage where work can begin and people who live and work in Hamilton will soon be able to reap the benefits of a much more free-flowing roundabout."

The improvement work has been made possible following the removal of the Almada Lodge building situated at the roundabout which was painstakingly and expertly moved stone by stone to a new location further down Muir Street a few years ago.

The council also had to use Compulsory Purchase Orders as there were more than 200 parties with ownership rights in relation to the land required for the scheme.

Work is expected to be completed by November 2008. All costs for the project will be met from the approved Hamilton Ahead budget.

(GK/JM)