WORK to improve a major traffic bottleneck near Bournemouth Airport is already showing signs of wear - just over a week after it was resurfaced.

Red-faced council chiefs are now having to go back to carry out further work to make the road fit for purpose.

The £1.5million scheme to redevelop Chapel Gate roundabout was due to be completed on December 15 - a week early, Dorset Highways boasted in a blog post.

But that deadline was pushed back, and just before Christmas, Dorset Highways said the road would need repairs in the New Year.

The information was published on a council run blog about updates to roadworks on December 20, under the title, "Good news and not so good news".

It said: "Our improvement work at Chapel Gate is very nearly finished.

"We’ve completed all the construction activities and all the cones have been removed from site, leaving the roundabout clear for Christmas.

"However, we will need to return in the New Year to replace the road surface around the roundabout.

"This area of surface is showing early signs of wear and will be replaced during night work in early January, under temporary traffic lights."

The council confirmed the work was only completed in mid-December.

Cllr Daryl Turner, cabinet member for the natural and built environment, said: “Unfortunately, the material in the centre of the roundabout is showing signs of early wear, and so we will be taking out this material and laying a different type of surface course in early January.

"When this is finished, we’ll also be putting in the last of the white line markings for the scheme.”

Cllr Turner said the council will be working with partners Hanson UK and WSP to investigate exactly what has caused the material to fail.

“We believe there may be more than one cause, so we’ll also be looking at the way the material was laid and the conditions it was laid in, as well as the quality and appropriateness of the chosen material for the turning and braking movements this junction is subjected to,” Cllr Turner said.

The project, which is part of the £45million BIG (Bournemouth International Growth) Programme, is intended to boost business investment around both Bournemouth Airport and the Wessex Fields site by Royal Bournemouth Hospital, with changes also made to junctions at Blackwater and Parley.

It has seen a new left turn lane created on the south eastern side for traffic from Hurn, and a new approach lane to the Aviation Business Park created on the north side.

Lanes from the business park have been widened, and new 'islands' created between them along with the creation of new cycleways.

One person commenting on the blog said: "Road surface “conveniently” breaking up- or it has now dawned upon the planners that three lanes into the roundabout makes it far too quick, and will very soon result in a collision.

"The islands leading into the junction are poorly marked, and are already showing signs of wheel impact and the filter lane does not merge well into the lane exiting the roundabout, collisions will be inevitable

"And as for the huge, unused cycle paths- completely ridiculous.

"Please employ someone with a little common sense, and go back to the drawing board."

St Catherine's and Hurn ward councillor Margaret Phipps said: "As far as I was concerned it was pretty much finished. If they have got a problem they are going to have to fix it.

"The work has not really caused to many problems up there while they have been carrying it out.

"It is a bit disappointing that this has happened but they will need to do the work to rectify it."