Major changes to a notorious traffic junction near Marlow may go against the wishes of the council after experts plotting the upgrades said local views might have to give way to “national importance”.

Highways England have unveiled three possible options for overhauling the A404 Bisham Roundabout – one of the busiest non-motorway trunk roads in the country.

Two of the choices in the £6million project include traffic lights – something the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and Bisham Parish Council had previously objected to.

Both councils refused to support a previous scheme in 2012 for round-the-clock traffic lights at the junction.

Last year, RBWM’s traffic manager Tony Carr said at the time the council was worried about the "visual impact of the signals in an attractive rural location" and called it a "completely inappropriate urban solution."

And with the option back on the table, scheme asset manager Surinder Bhangu said Highways England will do all it can to take on board local feeling, but insisted the major route is of national importance.

He said: "It is something we understand and have sympathy with, but we have got very conflicting demands, both local and national.

"Satisfying the two is a real challenge, and we are trying to take on board concerns, but at the same time the A404 is high-speed link between two motorways. It is a very important route."

Queues form on the A404 daily as traffic passes through the roundabout - the only junction of its kind along the route.

Bisham residents say they take their life into their hands trying to exit the village, with a constant barage of fast-moving traffic using the busy A404.

Mr Bhangu has already said there is no "magic bullet" to solving the congestion problems at the roundabout, with a huge £150m motorway style flyover junction the ideal solution.

He added that a full scale review launched by the Government is likely to include the whole A404 route, which may lead to further changes at the spot in the long term.

To view the plans and have your say, visit http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/road-projects/a404-bisham-roundabout-improvement