8:30am Saturday 28th November 2009
By Darren Slade
THE roadworks which have been bringing Bournemouth’s Spur Road to a standstill will be suspended for three weeks in an early Christmas gift to the town.
Dorset County Council revealed last night that it would be lifting the lane restrictions on the A338 from December 11 until January 6 after talks with business and the tourism industry.
The news was immediately welcomed by traders, who have seen business hit as drivers seek to avoid the roadworks.
Boscombe traders’ chairman Steve Kent called the announcement “absolutely brilliant”.
He said traders had met with Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole councils earlier in the week to voice their frustration at the rash of roadworks in the area.
“They seem to be digging up every road they can dig up at the moment. I don’t think there’s one road in Bournemouth they haven’t started on,” he said.
“This would do everybody a big favour.”
He pointed out that the roadworks would have been suspended over Christmas anyway, with contractors downing tools for up to two weeks.
“They’re not giving a lot away – maybe a week and a half – but anything counts at the moment,” he added.
Some businesses in Boscombe had seen an 18-20 per cent drop in trade in the wake of the A338 works and the closure of the Ashley Road railway bridge, he said.
The start of the A338 work brought lengthy delays along the Spur Road, which eased after the council changed the programme of works.
The work is the precursor to a six-month, £26 million refurbishment of the Spur Road starting next autumn.
Dorset County Council says work is progressing well, with vegetation and trees cleared from drainage systems so flooding problems can be resolved. Surveys are being carried out to help settle the design of the main scheme.
It says preparations are still on course to be finished by the end of February 2010.
Tony Brown, chief executive of Beales in Bournemouth, had previously called for the roadworks to be put off until after Christmas.
But the county council had said it was restricted by legislation protecting the reptiles along the route. This meant the creatures had to be moved out of harm’s way while they were hibernating.
Mr Brown said last night he was “delighted with the fruitful and constructive talks” held with the council’s project manager, David Diaz.
He said the authority seemed “genuinely willing to work with local businesses, especially during the major disruption scheduled for next September”.
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