Highways engineers have pledged to put the finishing touches to a controversial £10 million road scheme by the end of this week amid calls for a public apology over a string of delays.

Contractors came under fire from councillors and MPs after the re-opening of one of the main commuter routes in Gloucestershire was delayed by over a month.

Last week Forest of Dean MP Mark Harper called on the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Graham Dalton, to make a public apology over the row.

But today the road linking Gloucester and the Forest of Dean re-opened for business and the Highways Agency said they were poised to move off the site.

Contractors will spend the rest of the week tinkering with the five sets of traffic lights before bringing in a crane to remove the site office.

Commuters have spent six months sitting in jams while main road was completely overhauled and a bus lane added.

Businesses in the Forest of Dean and Gloucester complain they have been hit hard by the A40 roadworks, between Over and Highnam and say they want shoppers and visitors to have a clear run in time for the Christmas rush.

One of those businessmen, Matthew Keene from Over Farm Market, is furious after workmen told him that they would be on site tidying up until the middle of January.

But Gloucestershire Highways' spokesman said motorists have nothing to fear because contractors are confident they will be finished by the end of the week.

He said: "The five sets of traffic lights will be phased in over today, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

"The cabins on site at the slip road will then be moved sometime in the week at in off-peak period."

The A40 project, has come under fire since it started at the beginning of May and both the county council and MP Mark Harper have hit out at the Highways Agency for not finishing on November 3 as planned.

Cllr Stan Waddington Gloucestershire County Council cabinet member for the environment said the Agency had stood idly by while officials arranged for extra commuter trains to ease the jams and ensured contraflows were lifted during exam time and public holidays.

He said: : "We accept this has been a mammoth operation and a very difficult job to manage.

"Everyone who has had to endure the interminable delays, both travelling into the city and out again, has experienced the scale of the job for themselves. Having said that, I believe the Highways Agency could have done more to lessen the impact on motorists. Not enough attention was paid to reducing delays, particularly at peak time."

Mark Harper, MP for the Forest of Dean, has called on the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Graham Dalton, o make a public apology.

He said: "Though these works were necessary, they have caused a nightmare for motorists and they should have been finished as swiftly as possible. Instead there has been delay and confusion. The Highways Agency has failed to manage this project properly and this further delay is unacceptable. The Chief Executive should make an apology to Forest and Gloucestershire residents."