A BID to banish gridlock at a major county roundabout has been given the thumbs up by the Government.

Long-suffering drivers who face daily rush-hour congestion at the Powick roundabout, on the A449, should have their frustration eased, after Worcestershire received more than £14m Government cash to improve transport yesterday.

Part of the £4.399m settlement for transport schemes included £800,000 for traffic signals and a cyclist and pedestrian lane on the much troubled roundabout.

Worcestershire County Council chiefs said the project would aim to quell the daily queues at the site The two other major schemes are the multi-million pound park and ride site at Worcester Rugby Club, as revealed in the Worcester News on Saturday, and £1.6m to improve Evesham High Street.

The county also received £9.682m for transport maintenance to reconstruct and repair roads across Worcestershire, up from £8.696m last year.

County council transport chief John Seddon said this should help banish many of the much-derided potholes on county roads.

He said: "We are pleased with the settlement for maintenance as it is more than our bid but we hoped for a bit more for transport schemes.

"Potholes should become less of an issue as the roads are improved from the bottom up with full reconstruction.

"Meanwhile, the park and ride scheme will be a similar size to the one operating on Droitwich Road and will help ease congestion in the city centre.""

The Evesham High Street plan aims to banish long-standing issues with parking and congestion on the High Street.

The council sees the issue as not only a pain for pedestrians and drivers but also a major factor in making the town centre less attractive for visitors.

The proposals aim to revamp the parking area, to encourage more off-street parking and more dropped kerbs and refuge islands to encourage pedestrians to cross.

The authority also received £1.041m for major road resurfacing across the length of the A38 trunk road.

The annual Local Transport Capital Settlement is given by the Government annually to boost transport in the regions.