A BUSY road which has been closed for months to enable the construction of the landmark John Lewis at home and Waitrose store is set to be reopened by this weekend.

The road, which goes past Basing View and links Norn Hill and Eastrop Roundabout, has been closed since the middle of November to allow the road to be moved across to cater for the new 73,000 sq ft development.

The pedestrian link from the train station car park onto Basing View will also be re-opened.

However, motorists wanting to access Norn Hill and Basing View from Eastrop Roundabout will be temporarily diverted between 10pm and 5.30am for the rest of the week before the new road is re-opened.

The new store, which will include a cafe and over 400 car parking spaces, is expected to open in October.

But motorists face further traffic misery as the section of road directly in front of the new store will now be closed for around 12 weeks to allow the building to be cladded and other work to be carried out such as pedestrian and highway improvements.

Kevin Cowie, project manager at Bowmer and Kirkland, who are constructing the multi-million-pound store, said: “We’re delighted to be opening the new road and would like to thank motorists, local residents and staff in the Basing View businesses for all their patience and co-operation during what is a very complex programme of works.

“Please continue to bear with us as we progress towards completion of the new stores, which will be a great benefit to the entire community.”

The borough council’s Cabinet member for finance and resources, Councillor John Izett, added: “Building the new store is extremely complex and inevitably has resulted in some disruption. We thank everyone affected for their patience and understanding during this work.

“The need to complete cladding works to the new store and make pedestrian and highways improvements necessitates the closure of a section of the road in Lower Basing View.

"However, completion of the re-routed road serving Eastrop Roundabout is a big step forward in bringing high profile retailers John Lewis at home and Waitrose to the town centre in time for the festive period.”