Jam-busting underpass fully open

Thousands of drivers will be taken off the M4 junction

A long-awaited £38.5m underpass designed to relieve traffic congestion at one of the UK's busiest motorway junctions was completed at the weekend.

Saturday saw the southbound route of the A34 underpass at Chieveley, Berkshire, open after the northbound carriageway's opening on Thursday.

The underpass will allow thousands of motorists a day direct route from the South Coast to the Midlands.

It will also take 50% of traffic off the M4's junction 13.

'Running smoothly'

Work began on the underpass for the A34 - which is used by 60,000 motorists every day - in April 2003.

The Highways Agency says it was a "feat of engineering" to complete the work - which included 10 new bridges - in just 16 months.

Cosima Duggal told BBC News Online: "We are very pleased the work has run to time and that the second phase of opening has taken place without any complications.

"Everything is running smoothly and people are using the underpass in both directions."