TRAFFIC congestion in King’s Road is expected to return to normal after major road works were completed almost three weeks ahead of schedule.

For the past three weeks engineers from National Grid have been replacing a 24-inch gas main in the road in Fulham, causing disruption to motorists and residents.

The gas pipe suffered six leaks in the past 18 months before being patched up.

The scheme had been due to finish on June 30, but following pressure from the local authority it was completed in less than a month.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council leader Nick Botterill said: “This is excellent news for motorists, businesses and residents who have been caught up in traffic jams over the past few weeks. As soon as we knew the road works were causing traffic tailbacks, we took immediate action and cracked the whip with National Grid to make sure the company’s staff were working as hard and as quickly as possible to finish the job.

“It is a huge relief that the work will be completed much sooner than anticipated and we hope the mains pipe will no longer be the nagging pain it once was to residents.”