A NEW hi-tech traffic light system designed to ease gridlock at a notorious bottleneck in Great Yarmouth should be up and running by the autumn. Spurred on by tireless campaigning from the borough council and local businesses, the Highways Agency confirmed this week that a �600,000 project would happen in the 2009/10 financial year.

A NEW hi-tech traffic light system designed to ease gridlock at a notorious bottleneck in Great Yarmouth should be up and running by the autumn.

Spurred on by tireless campaigning from the borough council and local businesses, the Highways Agency confirmed this week that a �600,000 project would happen in the 2009/10 financial year.

A package of improvements will see the introduction of hi-tech Mova traffic lights, timed to respond to where traffic flow is heaviest. Lights on the Gapton Hall Road junction will be removed and lane changes will be made to the northbound and southbound A12, with further improvements to road markings and signs.

Detailed designs are well underway and should be completed by the end of May, meaning work lasting between 10 and 12 weeks is likely to start in September, avoiding the busy summer period.

The news was welcomed by county councillor for Breydon division, Trevor Wainwright, who attended several meetings of the campaign group Gapton Hall Taskforce.

He said: “It's good news, just a pity it's at the end of another summer season. Obviously whatever they can do will be an improvement.”

Local county councillors will be updated on progress at an area committee meeting on Monday and Labour member for Claydon ward, Trevor Wainwright, welcomed the news.

On Monday, the Highways Agency will start work on installing a base of a portable variable message sign, similar to those found on motorways, which will warn drivers of delays.

A spokesman said the sign will be able to warn motorists in advance of delays and give diversion routes.

Last Thursday, traffic lights at the notorious bottleneck failed for the second time in a month following a power failure.

It follows a previous power failure at the beginning of the month in which traffic lights were out of action for a weekend, with several motorists claiming traffic moved better with them.

A Highways Agency spokesman said power failed at around 4pm following a fault in the power supply. Engineers from EDF Energy had restored power shortly before 6.30pm.

Local county councillors will be updated on progress of the �600,000 project at an area committee meeting for Yarmouth on Monday, at the Town Hall at 9.30am.