The saying goes “bad luck comes in threes” and for Richmond’s motorists this would appear to be true.

News that Richmond Circus is being disrupted because of a five month Transport for London improvement project and Twickenham streets are being subjected to about six weeks of essential gas works has been followed by an announcement this week that Thames Water will close Clifford Avenue to southbound traffic for six weeks on Monday.

The closure, allowing workers to replace Victorian water mains, will force two diversions to be created at Chalker’s Corner and motorists, particularly HGV drivers, are advised to allow extra time for their journeys - delays are expected to add 30 minutes on to the average trip.

Light vehicles will be diverted via Lower Richmond Road and Sheen Lane and back to the South Circular at Upper Richmond Road West.

Roads in Barnes with weight and height restrictions have meant the utility company has created a second separate diversion for vehicles that are seven tonnes and over in weight.

From the A316 Clifford Avenue lorries will be diverted towards Hammersmith on to the A4 Great West Road, Hammersmith Broadway, down Fulham Palace Road into Fulham High Street, over Putney Bridge, left into Putney Bridge Road and Armoury Way and then connect back to the South Circular.

Senior project manager at Thames Water, Neil Franks, said: “We appreciate that work of this nature does bring inevitable disruption, but this work will bring benefits to the area for years to come, as we should not have to carry out repairs here in the future.

"We are working closely with TfL to reduce the impact on traffic and thereby minimise disruption.

“We apologise for any inconvenience these works will cause road-users.”