Fears have been raised that the new Poole town centre road system will not be built in time for the opening of the Twin Sails Bridge.

The Marston Road/Bay Hog Gyratory will cost £1.25m to build but Borough of Poole only has £150,000 in the pot.

A report before the council’s transportation advisory group said the risk was that the £1.1m funding would not be secured in time for the roads feeding the new lifting bridge.

“The implication of this would be that traffic congestion in the regeneration area would occur sooner, at lower levels of development than if the gyratory were implemented at an earlier time,” said the report.

The one-way road system involves West Quay Road taking northbound traffic, West Street southbound, Bay Hogg Lane would be reversed from its current direction and Marston Road one-way towards West Street.

Its aim is to provide better traffic flows as nearby housing and commercial developments are completed.

But if the scheme is not started by this July it will not be possible to complete it in time for the opening of the bridge, which is currently under construction and due to open early in 2012.

“The council has always recognised that the wider improvements to the transport network associated with the Twin Sails project will be delivered in phases,” said Jim Bright, strategic director, Borough of Poole.

“The Marston Road/Bay Hogg gyratory scheme will help traffic flow in the local area and is ready to proceed once funding has been secured.

“The council is currently exploring several options, including possible grants from central government and developer contributions, to fund the scheme.”

He added: “It may be possible for the scheme to go ahead in the summer.

“However, if funding is not secured then the scheme will be delayed to a future point in time.”