DRIVERS are facing up to the prospect of six more months of traffic disruption as improvements are made to the water mains in Ringmead.

The stretch of road between the roundabout near Sainsbury’s and the junction with Birch Hill Road is now closed.

Bus routes will be changed and diversions put in place as South East Water carries out the second phase of a programme to upgrade 3.8km of pipe in Bracknell as part of a £424 million investment in their network.

During the closure six bus stops will be out of action.

The Sainsbury’s, Hillberry, Juniper and Knightswood bus stops on Ringmead are shut along with the Brunswick and Cannie Mann bus stop on Hanworth Road.

Four temporary bus stops have been set up with two at each end of the closed section of road.

The three bus stops on Birch Hill Road are all still in use, although the buses will be travelling in the opposite direction.

Northbound buses will be travelling to Crown Wood and Bracknell with southbound buses heading to Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell via Great Hollands.

The number 4, 171, 172 and 954 buses will be diverted throughout the works which are expected to end in April 2016.

The northern section of Ringmead from South Hill Park to the Sainsbury’s roundabout has reopened, after being closed for almost three months.

Project manager at South East Water Ben McKellar said: “From the early planning stages of this essential scheme we wanted to make sure we were talking to local residents to find out how our work would impact on their day-to-day routine.

“While road closures are a nuisance, I feel proud of the way our team has managed to solve complex engineering problems, while at the same time minimising disruption for those living in the area.

“In Knightswood, where parking was becoming an issue, we worked closely with Bracknell Forest council highway network management team and spoke to residents to find a solution.

“As a result we’ve had some great feedback.”