HIGHWAYS Agency bosses have performed a U-turn over plans to close the A31 eastbound at the same time as the first day of the Bournemouth Air Festival came to an end.

Initially, a stretch of road through the New Forest from Ashley Heath to the M27 at Ower was to be shut throughout the night on Thursday from 10pm - the same time as the end of evening spectacle Night Air.

However, after contact from the Daily Echo, the closure will now begin at midnight, allowing motorists travelling out of Bournemouth extra time to get home.

The carriageway will be shut to allow works to improve the surface of the carriageway to be completed.

Thousands of people are set to visit Bournemouth on Thursday for the hugely popular air festival, now in its eighth year.

The event will come to a close with its Night Air programme, which features spectacular dusk air displays ending at around 9pm, as well as street entertainers, fireworks, and live music, ending around an hour later.

The Band of HM Royal Marines Collingwood, will finish their performance at 10pm on Thursday.

A spokesperson from the Highways Agency said: "The closure is being carried out to improvements to the road surface can be completed.

"The improvements are for road users' safety."

When initially contacted by the Echo, the spokesperson said: "The diversion will begin at 10pm, and we would advise motorists to leave for their destination early wherever possible so that they will be able to use the carriageway."

However, later he confirmed that the closure has been pushed back by two hours to allow for extra traffic leaving Bournemouth.

He added: "There will be clearly-signed diversions on the A326, the A35 and the A338."

Air festival director Jon Weaver said he has no concerns about the closure.

“Night Air displays finish soon after 9pm and the concert finishes at 10pm," he said.

"Thursday footfall figures are usually half of the weekend visitor numbers and with the planned diversion in place, with messaging we’ll send out, we’re happy people will be able to make their way home.”

Last year, similar fears that road closures could lead to delays during the festival were allayed by the Highways Agency.

A sign at the Ashley Heath roundabout warned road users that the sliproad from the roundabout towards the eastbound A31 and the M27 will be closed at night for a week from August 28 2014.

But representatives from the Highways Agency were quick to reassure motorists that their journeys home after the festival would not be affected, and the sign was removed.