FURIOUS motorists have been stuck in traffic jams for at least an hour during rush hour this week due to work on the Twin Sails bridge in Poole.

They are criticising Poole council for failing to change the timing on traffic lights in Blandford Road.

It means there have been severe delays from the junction with Ashmore Avenue.

The lights are currently set so that motorists heading for Poole town centre and travelling over the Twin Sails bridge have priority.

The lights for the filter lane are green for much longer than those for traffic heading straight on towards the lifting bridge.

Sarah Husher, who works at Sainsbury's in Poole, said it took her 45 minutes to drive a short stretch of Blandford Road. "I'm supposed to be at work at 9am but there's no way I'm going to make it" she added.

Gemma Almeida said she has abandoned her car and is walking instead.

"It is absolutely ridiculous" she told the Daily Echo. "They need to do something about the lights.

"I usually drive to Twin Sails school from Symes Road but the traffic has been so bad this week that I've had to walk. I got there quicker than the cars."

A bus driver said she was running an hour late and Susan Allen added: "We never used to get this trouble when there was no Twin Sails bridge. I work at Bournemouth and Poole College and I am going to be really late."

Motorist Shaun Street said: "I am a driving instructor trying to get to work and I have already missed my first appointment."

And Russ Tizard said: "I wish I had gone the other way, I didn't realise how bad it was going to be."

Melanie Hughes, who works in Bournemouth, said it took her two hours to get home from work last night due to problems with the traffic lights."

Marc Hayes, 44, who is originally from Manchester, said he spent more than 40 minutes on the Upton Bypass in “horrendous” traffic.

“The big bridge was down, the bypass was terrible, things are getting worse, it was just horrendous,” he said.

“I set off from Upton at 7.10am and it took me 40 minutes took get to the Co-op towards the bridge.

“I had to phone my daughter’s nursery and say I wouldn’t make it in. They were very good about it, and said Wimborne Road was bad as well.

“Manchester is busy, but I have  been here seven years and have never known anything like it, this is the worst it has ever been.”

A BOP spokesman said: Siemens engineers have now adjusted the signals to improve the traffic flow.  He added: "We will monitor the situation and make further adjustments as necessary."