MOTORISTS are facing a diversion of more than an hour next week as a main road near Ringwood is closed off.

Hampshire County Council is carrying out maintenance work on the A338 Salisbury Road from the roundabout under the A31 to near Blashford.

While less than a mile of road is set to be closed overnight from Monday, the official diversion route will take drivers more than 40 miles across the New Forest and Wiltshire.

Hampshire County Council said those familiar with the roads may not choose to use the diversion.

However, this is likely to be smaller roads not suited to HGVs.

These larger vehicles will be left to follow the signposted route along the A31 and M27 to Ower before taking the A36 to Salisbury and the A338 back towards Fordingbridge.

The work on the A338 Salisbury Road is due to last seven nights, but the local authority has confirmed it will not be carried out over the bank holiday weekend.

A Hampshire County Council spokesperson said: “As part of Hampshire County Council’s Operation Resilience planned maintenance programme to make Hampshire’s roads more resilient to the effects of extreme weather and heavy traffic, carriageway resurfacing works will be taking place on the A338 Salisbury Road, from the roundabout under the A31 to a point just south of Snails Lane.

“The work is expected to last for seven nights from 24 May and will require the road to be temporarily closed between 8pm and 6am each day. Work will not take place over the Bank Holiday weekend however.

“It is necessary to close the road in order to undertake the work safely, and to be able to complete the works efficiently and minimise the inconvenience to road users.”

The situation is not the first time those in the New Forest town of Ringwood have faced large diversions or potential rat running.

In 2018, an 18-mile diversion was in force while drainage work was carried out on a 250ft stretch of Christchurch Road.

On the A338 diversion, the council spokesperson said: “When closing an A-class road, we always aim to divert traffic onto roads of an equal or higher standard and this is why the signed diversion route is as long as it is.

“We do however also acknowledge that road users who are familiar with other alternative routes may choose not follow the signed diversion route. More information about the diversion route can be found on one.network.”

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