MILES of a major road will be closed overnight for resurfacing this week.

The Highways Agency said the eastbound carriageway of the A31 between Ashley Heath roundabout and Cadnam will be closed for three nights from today (TUES).

It follows work which took place on the westbound carriageway earlier this year.

The agency were criticised over the work, which took place in June, due to a lack of notice over the major closure.

Critics, which included the AA, said more notice needed to be given, with the Highways Agency apologising and promising to give more notice in future.

The latest closure was announced in a weekly bulletin, with closure signs erected last week along parts of the A338, warning of the closure.

It will be closed between the Ashley Heath interchange and M27 junction two at Ower between 10pm and 6am.

Diversions will be via the A326, A35 and A338.

The A31 is a major commuter route between Bournemouth and Southampton and is also used by a large number of families heading for holiday destinations.

The A31 work comes as preparations on the A338 Spur Road rebuild are due to start in a few weeks.

The £22m project from Dorset County Council, will begin on September 6, with two weeks of removing vegetation, installing traffic management, speed cameras and CCTV and resurfacing around Blackwater.

There will be day time and night lane closures on both carriageways during this fortnight and also some overnight closures.

Motorists have been advised to change their driving habits and think about whether they could use the train, car share or travel outside of peak times during the rebuild.

The Spur Road, which was opened in 1969, is showing its age and its foundations are failing, meaning that it needs to be totally rebuilt rather than resurfaced.

After the two weeks of the preparatory work, the reconstruction will begin in earnest from September 21, taking part in four phases.