COSTLY repairs may have to be undertaken on a main road into Christchurch town centre, just months after the road was re-surfaced.

Waterloo Bridge in Bridge Street, part of the Olympic torch relay route on Saturday, was shut for two months from September last year to allow for vital repairs to the stonework.

But now, less than a year after the bridge reopened, residents and businesses have reported the surface deteriorating and “collapsing at an alarming rate”

with various deep potholes ap-pearing over the past few weeks.

Christchurch resident Leslie Woodhouse, who has written a letter to the county council complaining about the problem, said: “It’s only recently been refurbished and it’s already collapsing at an alarming rate.

“It’s dangerous for cyclists and motorcyclists.

“They are literally getting worse by the day. I cycle this route daily and I have to hog the lane to make sure a car can’t force me into the potholes.

“I seriously believe there is potential for a serious accident.”

And Frances Brown from Ronny’s café in Castle Street said she also believes the road is a danger.

“They are patching up the road but in some places you can see the concrete underneath”, she said.

“It’s got worse in the last week. For cyclists that don’t know what state it’s in, it’s dangerous.”

Cllr Nick Geary, Christchurch Borough Council’s champion for transport said he and the county councillors were aware of the issues and had been in contact with Dorset County Council.

He said there had been “a lot of pressure” put on the county council to rectify the situation.

A spokesperson for Dorset County Council said engineers were investigating the problem with the road surface and intended to “patch” it until they work out what the problem is and how to resolve it.

A solution should be devised by early next week.