Work on the £178.5m Norwich Northern Distributor Road and changes to part of the Postwick Hub junction will bring fresh disruption to drivers next week.

Because of work on the NDR, Holly Lane in Horsford will shut on Monday for the whole of August, although Drayton Lane will be reopened to provide a link between Reepham Road and the B1149 Holt Road.

And a week later, Buxton Road, near Spixworth, will be shut for a week, despite Norfolk County Council having initially said it should not have to close.

John Birchall, the council's NDR liaison officer, said: 'We are sorry we are having to close Buxton Road at all at this time, because at the March exhibitions we were telling people that building the bridge off the line of the existing road would allow us to keep it open, except for relatively short closures to tie in and divert traffic over the new bridge.

'The problem has been caused by number of service pipes and cables - not exactly utility service spaghetti, but difficult enough so that a deep excavation under a road closure is the only option. That being the case, we want to get this done during August because traffic is lighter. Even so, it still going to be a difficult few days that will put pressure on alternative routes.'

Cyclists and pedestrians will still be able to get through the closure.'

The 12.5 mile NDR, which contractors hope to have open in December next year, will stretch from the A47 at Postwick to the A1067 Fakenham Road.

Meanwhile, on the Postwick junction, which will be the gateway to the NDR to the east of Norwich once it is completed, drivers are set for weeks of disruption.

That is because £100,000 needs to be spent to make changes to the £21m junction - because the redesigned junction was causing tailbacks.

Traffic from the east heading into Thorpe St Andrew will be diverted via Trowse bypass for several hours from 8pm on Saturday, August 6.

That is to allow protective barriers to be installed on the Postwick north-west roundabout. so that a segregated left-turn lane can be added.

The council is aiming to complete the work within the school holiday, so the segregated left turn is available on September 5.

Mr Birchall said: 'Just the mention of the Postwick junction will raise the blood pressure of some drivers. Please remember that the junction could not be left as it was and that what is there now is the only layout possible on that site.'

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