Drivers face months of traffic chaos on the M8 with the start of a £4.5m improvement programme today on one of Scotland's busiest sections of motorway.

Council and roads chiefs are warning drivers to take the train or bus instead as the major roadworks threaten to bring gridlock to the Kingston Bridge in Glasgow.

The resurfacing and repair programme is on the Bothwell Street off-ramp, which takes traffic from the south side into the city centre. The programme is expected to end on November 2.

Around 10,000 vehicles use the junction daily on one of Europe's busiest river crossings. Drivers will face 40mph speed limits with diversions in operation throughout the ramp's 20 week closure.

The work has also prompted the upgrading of several key junctions in the Charing Cross area to help ease congestion. Extra traffic lights have been introduced at St George's Road and at ramps to and from the M8 at Junction 18.

While the work is being carried out, right turns will be banned from St George's Road into Woodlands Road.

The project has been scheduled for the summer months because the traffic flow is quieter.

Neil Greig, of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said: "This will have a huge impact on surrounding roads because the issue will be where the traffic goes. The one possible ray of light is that some of the work is over a time when the roads are quieter, but the problem will be in the autumn when roads get busier again.

"However, this is an essential link into the city which is about 40 years old and takes a lot of pounding every day."

The Clyde Arc, which closed in January when a faulty connection caused a strut to crash on the carriageway, is expected to re-open on June 29 and may help ease some of the traffic congestion from the Kingston Bridge.

But while the programme will cause delays, it will benefit pedestrians as they will no longer need to negotiate busy traffic to get to Sauchiehall or Renfrew streets, as new crossings were installed as part of the preparation work.

The crossings will remain after the upgrade of the off-ramp is complete.

The major project involves replacing 15 worn bridge parts and resurfacing its deck. It is the final phase of a series of Kingston Bridge refurbishments that involve concrete repairs, new lighting columns, waterproofing and barrier replacements.