Drivers in the Ramsey area are facing weeks of disruption - including 24 hour closures - while a series of road repairs take place.

Work will start on the B1040 Ramsey Road on August 12 and will last three weeks, with other work taking place on the B1040 Herne Road and the B1095 Ramsey Road/Milk Water Drove.

Drivers have been advised to allow more time for their journeys and that signed diversions would be in place during construction.

Cambridgeshire County Council is carrying out the work as part of a programme to tackle roads which have deteriorated in drought conditions. Dry weather in recent years has led to roads becoming uneven as a result of subsidence caused by underlying ground problems, including peat shrinking.

The authority has already repaired some stretches of damaged road after making a successful bid to the central government's Local Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund through the damaged roads scheme.

Work will involve major reconstruction of the roads, including deep repairs down to foundation level.

This year's project, being launched in Ramsey, will continue until the winter, even with crews working around the clock in some cases.

The B1040 will see a second stage of reconstruction, with the Herne Road area expecting to take four weeks to complete and the B1095 scheme is expected to take five weeks.

Councillor Mathew Shuter, chairman of the highways and infrastructure committee, said: "We are committed to investing in the regular maintenance of our roads to ensure they're safe for everyone to use.

"Through this programme of work we will be able to increase the lifespan of our roads and reduce the need for future maintenance."

He said: "I would like to thank residents in advance for their cooperation and remind them to plan their journeys ahead of time to avoid delays."

Two other areas, the A1101 Mildenhall Road, near Littleport, and the A1303 Newmarket Road, Cambridge, are also facing road repairs, with the A1303 Newmarket Road resurfacing scheme being the only one of the five not to need 24 hour closures and will be managed with traffic lights.

The county council said even though there would be 24 hour closures on the other four roads, the majority of the work would be done between 7.30am and 6.30pm to keep noise and disruption to a minimum.

The authority warned that the type of work involved was heavily dependent on weather conditions and could change at short notice with updates being posted on its website and through social media.

Access to properties will be maintained at all times, although there may be delays if equipment has to be moved.

Further information about the work is available from www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/resurfacing-works.