A £77,000 gas pipe upgrade in Mortimer Street will mean businesses will suffer as roads will be partly closed for almost a month.

Car garages and repair workshops have all told The Wiltshire Times this week they will feel the effect of one lane in Mortimer Street being closed for almost four weeks for the works to take place.

The closure was due to begin on Monday, but on Wednesday gas company Wales and West Utilities contacted the Times to tell the paper it was being delayed until August 5.

From then until August 30, the left hand side of Mortimer Street will be closed going uphill from the County Way roundabout to New Road, meaning that traffic won’t be able to take a left turn up Mortimer Street. A diversion route will be signposted.

Andrew Rippa, owner of ET garage, said: “I get business from people driving past, so I feel we will take a hit.

“I knew nothing about these roadworks, you’d think they would inform us of stuff like this.”

Shaun Watts, manager at Malvern Tyres, said: “The only way I get service is by people driving in from Mortimer Street. These works will be going on for a long time, almost a month.

“It’s not just going to affect me, it’s going to affect the garage next door as well. We deliver tyres to other garages outside Trowbridge, so we need vans to be able to have full access coming in and out every day.”

Wales and West Utilities said the work is needed to keep the gas flowing to heat homes and power businesses in the area.

Project manager Steven Davies said: “We know that working on roads like this is not ideal, but it really is essential to make sure we keep the gas flowing to homes and businesses in the area.

“Most of the gas network is underground and out of sight but it plays a central role in the daily lives of people across Trowbridge and the surrounding areas.

“We’ll be working as safely and as quickly as possible, while keeping inconvenience to a minimum.”