ONE of Poole's busiest roads will shut for four months this weekend as part of a major £3.9 million project.

Work at Gravel Hill is expected to start on Monday, after engineers close the busy road at 10pm on Sunday.

The works - to widen the footway, improve the Gravel Hill and Queen Anne Drive junction and strengthen the embankment - will affect thousands of motorists. Drivers have been warned to expect delays and urged to plan extra time for their journeys.

Part of a wider £23.3 million Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership project, the scheme is being carried out to improve the corridor from the town's port to the A31.

Borough of Poole (BOP) transportation head Julian McLaughlin said: "We appreciate this closure will inevitably cause some unavoidable disruption to road users and we have taken every opportunity to minimise the impact this will have on people.

"We have scheduled the work to start once the local schools have closed for the summer and there is generally less traffic. We have worked closely with neighbouring authorities and utility companies to co-ordinate the Gravel Hill improvements with roadworks planned in other areas."

Bournemouth Echo:

Gravel Hill, from Queen Anne Drive to Arrowsmith Road, will be closed entirely for the whole works period. However, access for Gravel Hill residents, cyclists and pedestrians will be maintained for the four entire months.

The main reason for the work is to stabilise the embankment at Gravel Hill, which is at risk of failing, borough engineers say.

Mr McLaughlin said: "Where possible we would encourage drivers to start thinking about the steps they can take including allowing extra time for their journeys or using alternative routes.

"While some work may continue up until the end of January 2017, it is anticipated that the road closure will be lifted by the end of November."

A fully signposted diversion will be implemented throughout the works, with motorists being directed along Queen Anne Drive, Magna Road and Ringwood Road.

Meanwhile, Arrowsmith Road will remain open to local traffic, although the existing 7.5 tonne weight limit restriction will continue to apply.

Morebus has already planned for extended journey times, and a temporary bus timetable has been put in place. Affected buses include the morebus 3, 4 and 32 routes.

Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership chairman Gordon Page said: "These road improvements at Gravel Hill mark the start of a multi-million-pound investment into the Port of Poole's transport infrastructure to unlock economic growth into the region."

The works also include carriageway upgrading, and improved signalling, at Arrowsmith Road and the construction of a shared footway/cycleway around the Magna Road/Arrowsmith Road junction.

At the Dunyeats Road junction the roundabout will be redesigned to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists, says the council.

Contractors will also widen the footway from Queen Anne Drive to Dunyeat's junction, making it a shared footway and cycleway which will provide a cycle link connecting Merley to the town centre.