THE construction of a new access road for Broadmoor will begin next week.

As part of the high-security hospital's �285m redevelopment programme, a road has been planned to divert construction traffic away from Crowthorne and ultimately become the main access route for the new facility.

Located off of the A3095, the new road will require a week of preparation, between Monday and Friday, February 22, 9am-3pm, in advance of its main construction.

During these hours, there will be temporary traffic lights on this part of the A3095, reducing traffic to a single lane in both directions.

After the preparation work, the traffic flow will return to normal until the spring, when the main road works will be carried out. This is expected to last for 26 weeks. David Phillips, redevelopment programme manager for the West London Mental Health Trust, said: "This is a large- scale project, requiring a huge amount of manpower and materials.

"However, where possible, we want to avoid disturbing our neighbours and supplying a new road is the most effective way of doing so. It will also lead to future benefits for the local community and significantly reduce hospital traffic in the long run." He added the preparation work has been planned for half term as traffic is expected to be lighter.