A multi-million pound upgrade to a key roundabout into Marlow to ease congestion will help create more than 500 new jobs, Highways England announced this week.

The Westhorpe Interchange junction, on the A404 at Marlow, is set for a £1.75 million makeover to allow better access to the nearby Globe Park, which will help to bring 22,000 square metres of empty office space at the business park back into “productive use”, creating up to 560 jobs.

The traffic blackspot has been plagued with congestion at peak times, and Bucks County Council (BCC) is hoping the makeover will help improve access to and from Globe Park, as well as relieve heavy traffic at the junction.

Earlier this year, the council secured around £1.18 million towards improving the busy roundabout, with the money match-funded with £500,000 of developer funding and £63,000 of Growing Places funding from the Local Economic Partnership.

The project – led by Bucks & Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (BTVLEP), Bucks County County Council, Wycombe District Council and the Globe Park BID – was awarded the money by Highways England in October from its £100 million Growth and Housing fund, after they submitted a joint bid to its growth and housing fund – a government money pot set aside for road improvements.

Transport bosses have not yet confirmed what the improvements will be, although traffic lights were being considered for the roundabout earlier this year.

Marlow mayor Jocelyn Towns said she was “pleased” to hear about the development, adding: “The future of the business park is very important and if this initiative helps to generate more rentals we welcome it and look forward to receiving more details in due course.”

And Marlow Chamber of Trade and Commerce’s vice president Paul Deriaz said the improvements “need to be made” to manage traffic better.

Speaking about this creation of new jobs, Mr Deriaz said: “It is absolutely a good thing for Marlow.

“We have got these properties that developers have spent millions on that are just sitting there empty.

“It is good to have buildings occupied. [The improvements] are bringing other jobs and bringing prosperity to Marlow.

“It is very important that Marlow has a bright future.”

BCC’s deputy leader and transport cabinet member, Mark Shaw, welcomed the funding, saying: “I’m well aware of the congestion there, and our successful funding bid will not only help deal with this, but also help stimulate the Buckinghamshire economy.”