THE widening of a section of the A406 which could become a traffic nightmare for motorists will start next month.

From April 26, work will start to create a two-lane carriageway each way between Bounds Green Road, in Haringey, and Connaught Gardens section of the motorway, much of which has been largely untouched since it was built in the 1930s.

New pedestrian crossings and a footbridge at the Bowes Road/Wilmer Way Junction will be installed along with new cycle and bus lanes and improvements to junctions as part of the two-year plan.

Transport for London (TfL) said journey times will be made more predictable by "smoothing traffic flow through the area", and cut the number of vehicles taking short cuts through local residential streets.

Kulveer Ranger, the Mayor of London’s transport advisor, said: "Local residents have spent years wondering if this scheme would ever get started and it is brilliant news that, thanks to the determination of the Mayor, Transport for London and the local borough, work is finally set to get underway. It promises to make real and long awaited improvements to the area."

TfL officers will be holding public information sessions about the scheme at the Trinity at Bowes Methodist Church and Community Centre, in Palmers Green, between March 18 and March 20.

Work is expected to be completed by spring 2012.

Once completed, the traffic "bottleneck" Bounds Green and Green Lanes should see an improvement and rat-running traffic in residential streets could also be curbed.

The road also has high accident levels and TfL bosses said the schem could reduce accidents by a third.