Leicestershire County Council has spent £1m on the road, widening lanes and improving the layout at its Nottingham Road and Scalford Road junctions in the hope congestion in the town will be reduced.

Experts believe the improvements will keep the town moving while the fight for a Melton bypass continues, with more work on the Thorpe End junction to start next year.

Traders are hoping the lifting of the roadworks will mark an upturn in footfall after some shoppers began avoiding town to escape queues caused by the works.

Pedestrians have also had a tricky time crossing the road during the improvements.

Martin O'Connor, part of County Hall's major transport projects team, said the project finished a day late but should improve things for motorists.

He said: "Some days during the roadworks have seen better traffic movements than others, and at times it's been difficult balancing the needs of residents with the works.

"This section is more significant than Thorpe End, but we know there are issues there as well, and when complete it will all make a better linkage for traffic travelling along that Norman Way corridor."

Turning restrictions, which have filtered Leicester Road-bound traffic coming from Nottingham Road and Asfordby Road right around Norman Way, have now been lifted.

Mr O'Connor added: "Following the eventual completion of work at Thorpe End we will have a review of all the movements around the town network to see if there are any other tweaks that can be done to improve traffic flow."