Move to save staff commute misery

Major delays are expected when the works start next month

Temporary office facilities have been offered to health workers in the Forest of Dean ahead of roadworks which would hamper their journeys to and from work.

Six months of delays are expected when work begins next month on the A40 between Highnam and Over roundabouts.

Many people are planning lifestyle changes to deal with the disruption.

The county's primary care trust is providing workstations in a building next to Lydney hospital to save Forest staff commuting to Gloucester.

Nicki Millin, the trust's deputy director of performance and planning, said: "I live in the Forest of Dean, my office is in Brockworth, so I was motivated to work with staff to see what we could do differently.

Work-life balance

"We are expecting it will, potentially, at rush hour mean staff could spend even longer in their cars than they are now.

"So we wanted to think about work-life balance and we've got a building in the Forest that isn't utilised to full capacity at the moment.

"So it's an opportunity to set up something there for staff who live in the Forest but need to travel up to Gloucester and beyond."

The works include complete resurfacing, drainage improvements and new street-lighting.

Due to concern from Forest schools with pupils taking exams this year, the construction programme has been altered for the first few weeks so two lanes into Gloucester from Highnam junction are maintained until 1000 BST.

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