Traffic restrictions are in place on Matchams Lane today with drivers warmed there may be delays on the Spur Road with a number of key events taking place in the area.

Thousands of visitors are set to travel along the A338 to Bournemouth on Saturday and Sunday for two sports events and a political conference.

Drivers will face a single lane of the A338 from the Ashley Heath Roundabout to the Cooper Dean Roundabout as the first part of the work continues on the busy main road.

Around 4,000 party delegates will be coming to the town for the Lib Dem Autumn Conference, running from 10am on Saturday until Wednesday.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Sunderland supporters are also due to head to Vitality Stadium for their match against the Cherries, which kicks off at 3pm.

Additionally, the Wiggle New Forest 100 Sportive is being held on Saturday and Sunday which will meet at Matchams Leisure Park, on Hurn Road, with staggered starts from 7.40am to 9.45am as it is anticipated 2,000 cyclists pedal around the New Forest.

Richard Marcroft, managing director of Wiggle, which stages the event, said it runs on Matchams Lane, which is parallel with the Spur Road and they have put traffic measures in place in conjunction with Dorset County Council.

He added: “We have been liaising with the council as some of their lane closures are along the route anyway. We will have temporary speed restrictions along Matchams Road to slow motorists down while the cyclists are on the road, we have signs to tell people that the event is going on, stop and go boards at the event’s site and traffic lights on Matchams Lane as well.”

There will be a full road closure from 8pm on Sunday night to 6am on Monday morning and then, there will be a contraflow in place with all vehicles using the northbound carriageway.

Vehicles travelling in both directions will then be using the northbound carriageway.

Cllr Peter Finney, cabinet member for environment at Dorset County Council, said: “With the southbound carriageway closed to traffic, we’ll be able to start some larger scale works which will lead up to the planing and foam base operation starting at the beginning of October.

“We’ve got 50 people out on site at the moment and this will increase to over 70 at the height of the rebuild.”

Work on the Spur Road will involve drainage crossings, verge widening, ditch clearing and dismantling the central reservation.