LIKE many other local residents, I am somewhat concerned about the traffic problems that will occur when the Spur Road A338 is partially closed for nine months, due to the necessary repair of the road.

I am a pensioner, so can usually avoid rush hours, but there are thousands of commuters who will be badly affected by traffic hold-ups.

It occurs to me, a Christchurch resident, that some thought needs to be given to the other main routes that could be used to and from Ringwood, i.e. Matchams Lane and the Avon Causeway roads.

Matchams is useful travelling north but if you are coming south from Ringwood there is a T-junction when it meets the Avon Causeway Road.

A couple of years ago I saw that the traffic was not moving from the Ashley Cross roundabout to the A338 so I travelled around the roundabout and came back to Christchurch via Matchams Lane, silly me there was a queue of over 100 cars trapped by the T-junction.

It took me well over an hour to cross that junction even though it was outside the rush hour.

For the nine-month duration of the A338 repairs, is it possible to place temporary traffic light at the junction of Matchams Lane and the Avon Causeway Road to ease traffic delays?

Similarly, the Avon Causeway has a priority stop on the bridge, so could temporary traffic lights be set up for the duration of the repairs?

Michael John

Apple Grove, Christchurch