A SLOW-moving wide load brought traffic to a standstill in Hamworthy as it negotiated roadworks at a crawl.

Residents who have put up with one-way traffic and a complete road closure of part of Blandford Road in recent weeks, had to call on their powers of patience again yesterday morning.

Watching the manoeuvres from Volvo dealership Snows was salesman John Coady He said: “It took quarter of an hour to 20 minutes to get through the road works.”

Queues of traffic built up behind the abnormal load which had travelled by ferry from France to the port and had just begun its slow journey to Exeter, via major motorways.

On its way to a refinery in Devon, the abnormal load was at least 40ft long.

“It was absolutely huge,” said Mr Coady.

“It was the height of a two-storey building.”

He said the trailer had only been crawling along at best but came to a complete halt as it had to negotiate the roadworks near the Turlin Moor turn, where Wessex Water is replacing a water main.

Drivers had been advised to go around Holes Bay instead of queuing behind the vehicle with its police escort but many waited in line to get through the road works.

“After it had gone through there was a considerable flow of traffic going past,” said John.

The water company began its work on October 22, closing a section of the road to southbound traffic.

Since then there has been a four-day total closure when a collapsed sewer was found and now three-way lights have enabled traffic to turn both ways out of Turlin Moor.

The southern restriction remains and work is due to be completed by Monday, December 17.