CONFUSION and headaches for motorists have continued on a busy commuter route in Christchurch.

Work at Hurn roundabout began overnight on Tuesday, however this carried on throughout the morning and early afternoon yesterday.

This extended the problem drivers have faced travelling through Blackwater due to the works on the east side of the junction.

Engineers implemented narrow lanes and carried out tree works at Hurn roundabout under stop/go boards, despite no prior warning that this would take place in the day yesterday.

This caused problems on all approaches and caused long tailbacks on Christchurch Road to Blackwater and beyond towards Fairmile.

Further woes were caused by signs being left out with misleading information.

Dorset County Council apologised yesterday after signage saying there was no access to the southbound A338 was on display when the slip road was open.

The signs advised motorists heading from Hurn to take the northbound carriageway and travel on the Spur Road to Ashley Heath, before coming back down the southbound carriageway.

Three way traffic lights will be in operation tonight at the Blackwater east junction.

This is understood to be the last work Dorset County Council needs to carry out at the junction and A338 southbound slipway.

St Catherine’s and Hurn ward councillor Margaret Phipps was caught in the problems yesterday. She said it took her 45 minutes to travel from the petrol garage on Fairmile Road to Matchams Lane at lunchtime due to the Blackwater junction and Hurn roundabout schemes running at the same time.

Dorset County Council officers advised there was only night work this week at Hurn roundabout, however Cllr Phipps said the work that carried over into the day played a big part in the delays.

She said: “The officers are telling me Blackwater east should be completed in the next few days so I’m hopeful the situation will improve.

“It is not ideal to have the two schemes overlapping each other.

“The situation is not ideal as people in the area have to go through these delays every day.

“All we can do is hope in the long term when they finish all this work it will be a bit better. I appreciate the contractors do their best to maintain traffic flow but at times it has been quite bad out there. I’m not sure what else they can do.”

Both the Hurn roundabout and Blackwater east schemes are part of the Bournemouth International Growth Programme, which has been supported through £40million of funding secured by Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership.

Blackwater west is earmarked for an improvement scheme later this year.

At present Cllr Phipps said she is keen to ensure a traffic measure at Hurn roundabout is maintained.

She said: “I want to make sure the short one-way section of Hurn Court Lane is closed to prevent drivers from trying to cut through there.

“It is extremely dangerous and needs to be stopped as an accident could happen.”