IF you thought the Spur Road traffic jams were bad now – take a look at what’s coming next year.

Six months of major roadworks along 6.5 miles of the A338 are set to bring much of Dorset to a standstill from 2010.

Highways chiefs are warning people to expect road delays, disruption to coach services and the risk of missing their flights, trains and hospital appointments.

Officials say the road, which is nearly 40 years old, is in desperate need of replacement and there is no alternative to the project.

They say the dual carriageway – which carries more than 56,000 vehicles every day – has exceeded its original design life and has started to fail.

The £26 million refurbishment covers 6.5 miles of the A338 between Ashley Heath and Bournemouth’s Cooper Dean interchange.

David Diaz, Dorset County Council’s project manager for the scheme, said there would be delays but the council was talking to businesses and public services to plan ahead as well as possible.

“We’re still working on the construction programme. We are looking to maintain one lane in each direction at all times,” he said.

The council will attempt to dissuade people from using the most direct alternative route along Matchams Lane and Hurn Road.

“The road conditions along Matchams Lane aren’t suitable for the vehicles we would expect to use them,” said Mr Diaz.

“We would discourage anyone from using Matchams Lane. You are not going to get 60,000 vehicles a day down there.”

Instead, traffic heading into Bournemouth will be signposted along the A31 to Ferndown, the A347 Ringwood Road, New Road and Whitelegg Way and on to Castle Lane Road.

Traffic for Bournemouth Airport and the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital is to be directed along Parley Lane and Christchurch Road.

Officials say they will try to minimise delays by changing the signal timings at busy junctions and by working at night when safe.

The work being done on the route at the moment is to clear vegetation and trees and put up fencing to stop protected reptiles getting on to the road. Detailed surveys are also going on ahead of next autumn’s work.

Nigel Hedges, president of Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said next year’s delays would cause problems for business. But he said Dorset would be getting “something of motorway standard” to replace the current road surface.

“That’s got to be a good thing,” he added.

Data from the traffic surveys which caused hold-ups across Bournemouth and Poole last year could be used to ease the pain for motorists during the roadworks. The council hopes sophisticated computer modelling will enable it to tell drivers how much extra time to allow for their journeys.