MOTORISTS were facing delays this morning as four days of drainage works got underway on the A338.

The works have closed one lane of the southbound carriageway between the Ashley Heath roundabout and Blackwater Bridge.

This morning traffic was tailing back along the A31 sliproad and very slow until after the two lanes merged.

Dorset Council technical officer Mark Adams told the Echo last week: “We have been in consultation with Bournemouth Council to cause as little disruption to highway users as possible while their works on the footbridge and Dorset Highways work take place.

“Dorset Highways will be working on the southbound carriageway whilst Bournemouth Council may be working on the northbound carriageway.

“We will have a 50mph speed limit on this section for the safety of the workforce during this project.”

The closure is starting on the outside lane and will change to the inside lane as the work progresses, but will remain in place throughout the four days.

The work is intended to alleviate flooding on an unclassified road nearby by connecting its drainage to the carriageway.