Drivers of a certain vehicle type have been warned they risk being banned from a major road after a report found they caused too much "havoc".
It comes after a study launched in 2020 finally concluded last week with it finding that HGVs were too problematic for certain roads.
The M4 to Dorset Coast Strategic Study revealed the need for a new traffic route to be created to stop HGVs from using A-roads and side streets to access the motorway.
At the time, National Highways raised concerns about the existing strategic route, which follows the A36 and A46 via Salisbury, Warminster, and Bath.
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National Highways released its findings on the road changes after five-year delay
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The study shared: "We have completed a study to consider whether there is an alternative key north-south route between the Dorset coast and the M4. The study aimed to identify which corridor(s) could provide the main route and potential enhancements.
"Local authorities in the area have suggested the A350 as an alternative corridor providing the main route for the area."
Five years on from the start of the study, East Wiltshire MP Danny Kruger informed residents that there is a "real need" to reduce HGV using local roads.
He said: "There is a very real need to separate local and strategic traffic - large HGVs and freight traffic should not be using local roads as part of this route when it isn't absolutely necessary."
He added: "I'm delighted, after years of campaigning on this subject, that the proposed corridor between the M4 and Dorset coast does not intend to route traffic along the A338 and A346, through Marlborough and villages.
"This route is currently a favourite of HGV drivers, causing havoc in our villages that are not designed to accommodate such large vehicles, and leading to huge congestion issues around Marlborough."
Parvis Khansari, Corporate Director at Wiltshire Council, also said: "We very much welcome this study, which identifies the A350 and then the A36 as the key corridor from the M4 south to Dorset.
"Much of this route runs through Wiltshire, and so it has huge implications for our county's road network and it now means that highway improvements could be made at several key points in the county, including at Melksham, Westbury, Warminster and Salisbury."
Based on the findings of the study, a programme of road upgrades could be made to improve a certain corridor to link the M4 to the Dorset coast while minimising the impact on residents and other road users.
Developing a new route would also help give better north-south connections, make journeys faster and give customers a safer route.
It would also ensure convenient access from ports on the Dorset Coast to the M4 for freight traffic.
Khansari explained that the council will now consider the study's findings and will support National Highways to move the study's recommendations forward.
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The study found alternative routes for HGVs to travel through to avoid using local roads
TRANSPORT SCOTLANDHe shared: "There is a long way to go before we can secure this investment and make these improvements a reality, but this is a vital first positive step in the right direction.
"This corridor is not only essential for regional travel, but these strategic roads also provide vital links between many of our towns and villages here in Wiltshire and so improving them will benefit us all while boosting the economic prospects of our county."
