BUSINESS owners are facing an ongoing headache as roadworks that were originally planned to finish over a week ago have been extended yet again.

Yelverton Road in Bournemouth was first closed on Monday, June 5, for work to connect Denham House to the mains sewer by Wessex Water.

The building is being developed to create new flats.

The road was set to re-open on Friday, June 9, but the closure was extended by a week due to a delay in the works caused by “circumstances beyond our control”, a Wessex Water spokesperson said.

However, yesterday, the road remained shut with new signs informing people the road closure had been extended until Friday, June 23.

Bournemouth Water has now started work to connect a new water supply to Denham House. A leaking service supply is also being fixed.

Edward Restelica, co-owner and manager of Italian restaurant Del Marco, which is on the ground floor of the building, said the ongoing road closure had affected footfall.

“They have disrupted traffic and footfall. We’ve got a double whammy with the scaffolding on the building for the new flats and the roadworks.

“The council have communicated with us and told us the works are going to be extended for another week because of the water works.

“I’m a bit annoyed as it’s one thing after the other,” he added. “Initially the roadworks were for five days, then they were extended for another week, and now they’re getting extended for another week. So it’s a bit too much to be honest.

“Let’s hope the building looks better when it’s completed.”

In a letter addressed to Yelverton Road residents, South West Water, which owns Bournemouth Water, explained that “due to the restricted working space and the proximity of the services it was not possible for both utility companies to undertake their individual work at the same time.

“However, as the work is to be done consecutively it will reduce the overall time the road is closed by removing the need to back fill and resurface the road twice.”

The Yelverton Road works are among several taking place across the town centre at the moment.

The council is carrying out £121,000 of resurfacing work at the junction of Old Christchurch Road by Horseshoe Common, to replace paving which had been dislodged and cracked since it was laid three years ago. The work is scheduled to last until July 16.

And works to install a raised zebra crossing outside Tesco Metro in Bournemouth Square, which started at the end of April, are not set to finish until July 21.