Chaos is expected to ensue next month when a vital road faces intermittent closure to reconstruct pavements and road surfacing at the rear of the city centre’s forthcoming hotel.

Drovers Way is expected to be closed for approximately six weeks starting on Monday, July 7, from the junction of Catherine Street to the junction of Russell Avenue as work on the new Premier Inn hotel moves ahead.

A traffic management plan has been put in place to ease congestion but the work is still expected to cause issues for those parking in the nearby multi-storey car parks and for businesses dropping off deliveries, such as Marks and Spencer, Tesco, and Boots.

Bill Dove, managing director of Red Triangle Traffic Management Ltd, said people would be able to get into the car parks.

He explained that they would not be fully closing the road until the last stage of the work in a few weeks, adding: “Everyone should be able to get where they need to get to.”

A spokesman for Herts county council said the work should be completed by Sunday, August 3.

He added contractors will be working between the hours of 9am and 9pm: “They will sometimes need to close the road during these times, which may disrupt access to properties and businesses.”

Sally-Anne Watkins, owner of Eve and Adam spa in Catherine Street, said the work is going to cause chaos: “It will cause problems for our customers for parking. There’s already a lot of traffic and people use that road as a short cut. It is inconvenient. We hadn’t had any warning about it. I may have seen a notice.”

Diversion routes are as follows: For cars and light vehicles – A4147 Catherine Street – Folly Lane – A5183 Verulam Road – High Street– A1081 Chequer Street – St Peters Street HGV’S – A4147 Catherine Street – Folly Lane – A5183 Verulam Road – A4147 Bluehouse Hill Roundabout – A5183 Verulam Road – High Street – A1081 Chequer Street – St Peters Street