Extra delays are expected across Bournemouth over the next few weeks as roadworks take place on the routes being used by drivers to avoid the A338 Spur Road rebuild.

Wick Lane in Christchurch is already closed for sewer work on the new development there, with drivers stuck for up to an hour in traffic last night. It will remain closed until October 11.

Dorset County Council says:  The temporary traffic management system around Wick Lane in Christchurch is being improved. The narrow lane was closed yesterday for 13 days to allow developers at the old sorting office to connect to sewage and mains water services in the road.

Drivers normally use Wick Lane as a short cut through to High Street, Castle Street and Bridge Street. It is closed to them but still open to shoppers wanting to use the car park and HGVs accessing the shops via Regent Way - but as this traffic is exiting the site using other roads, the area is busier than usual.

Extra temporary signing has been put up to remind drivers that there is no access to the town centre via Wick Lane. Traffic managers will continue to monitor the roads carefully during the next fortnight to reduce the likelihood of ongoing problems.

From Monday October 5 to Friday October 9, there will be temporary traffic lights - manually controlled from 7am-7pm - on New Road in West Parley at Dudsbury Avenue  to allow the installation of a new gas main to a development there.

This road is part of the official diversion when the A338 is closed overnight. There are northbound on Monday and Tuesday next week.

Dorset County Council says: Work starts on 5 October for a week for a new gas main to be installed to a new development on the A347 New Road. There will be 24 hour lights, operated manually 7am-7pm to improve traffic flow.

Then from Monday October 12 to Tuesday October 20 and again from 2 Nov-24 Dec there will be temporary traffic lights at Longham at Ham Lane, to install a new gas main.

Traffic lights will be operated manually 7am-7pm to reduce congestion and Southern Gas Networks, undertaking the work, have been instructed to work weekends.

Work on the A348 Ringwood Road to improve road access to the development near the M&S site will run 19 Oct - 7 December. This work will only be carried out at night, 7pm-7am to reduce likelihood of problems. 

The council says: "Drivers should steer clear of Parley Cross and Ham Lane if possible while a series of essential roadworks are going on this autumn. Traffic managers have imposed conditions on how and when the work is carried out to help minimise disruption."

 

There's also overnight closures in both directions on the A31 from the Roundhouse roundabout to the Shell roundabout at Bere Regis from Monday until the end of January for night and drainage works. More information on this to follow.