CONTENTIOUS cycleway works that were planned for Upton's Poole Road have been postponed by County Hall amid concerns highlighted in the Daily Echo.

Dorset County Council (DCC) highways bosses made the U-turn after residents slammed the timing of the 11-week cycleway scheme, which would have coincided with the ongoing bridge works on the A35.

Fuming motorists, already complaining of significant delays through the A35 lane restrictions, felt another roadworks scheme on a main route linking to the dual carriageway could have caused gridlock.

Yesterday, Andrew Brown, DCC projects team leader for highway improvements said: "We'll be postponing our Upton cycleway works until after the A35 work has finished.

"Although our off-peak traffic management proposals would’ve minimised disruption, we appreciate the concerns residents expressed about the work coinciding with the current bypass bridge protection work."

The current A35 works are scheduled to last until the end of April.

DCC Upton ward councillor Fred Drane, who has been instrumental in ensuring the Poole Road cycleway leg get completed, told the Echo: "The cycleway will go ahead sometime, but not now. I think to reschedule is absolutely the right thing to do."

The Poole Road cycleway works, which would have been controlled by temporary traffic lights out of rush hour times, had been scheduled to last from March 13 until July 1.

Drivers also expressed concerns about other roadworks taking place in and around Upton during March. Three separate utilities works are set top take place along Blandford Road, south of the Upton double roundabouts, in the next two weeks.