The Department of Transport has awarded Bracknell Forest Council £1m from its Local Pinch Point Fund, which will be used for the junction’s next stage of improvements.

Work to widen lanes on the approaches to the busy Bracknell roundabout to improve traffic flow has been ongoing, in phases, since April.

In the new year, work will start on the section of Twin Bridges north of the railway line, and will involve changes to the Skimped Hill, Downshire Way and Easthampstead Road arms.

New traffic signals will then be installed for the whole junction.

The second half of the resurfacing works on Mill Lane will be carried out in the spring, while the final installation of new street lighting columns at the roundabout is due to be carried out in the new year.

The overall scheme is due to be completed in the summer.

The work at Twin Bridges is part of improvements across Bracknell to cope with the extra traffic when the regeneration of the town centre is complete. The total cost will be £6m – £2m each year between 2013 and 2015.

Cllr Chris Turrell, Bracknell Forest Council’s executive member for planning and transport, said: “We welcome this award of £1m from the Government’s Local Pinch Point Fund which will help fund the next stage of improvements at the Twin Bridges junction.

“These road improvements will ease congestion when the regenerated town centre opens and attracts new visitors and commerce into Bracknell, and will provide better access to the new homes planned for the borough which will bring in new residents and commuters.” Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell, added: “I am pleased that the Twin Bridges roundabout is to receive much-needed funding from the Department for Transport.

“The increased capacity will greatly improve traffic flow and is a welcome improvement ahead of Bracknell town’s regeneration.” Since work began on the project to improve traffic in early July motorists have suffered lengthy delays – with some drivers even complaining of delays of up to an hour.

The multi-million pound scheme is designed to improve traffic capacity and flow through the junction and to manage predicted traffic growth.

As part of the improvements, lanes on the carriageways leading to and from the roundabout have also been widened to ease traffic flow.