EMERGENCY repairs at a busy roundabout in Bournemouth are said to be nearing completion.

SGN said it should be able to have Iford Roundabout fully re-opened by the weekend of Saturday, February 11.

Four-way traffic lights have been in place at the site since the beginning of January to allow SGN to repair a gas leak.

While temporary repairs were quickly made to the gas network, it has taken much longer to achieve a permanent solution.

SGN said specialist contractors were replacing the affected pipes, work which is expected to be finished this weekend.

The utility company said it could then take up to five days to re-instate the road, after which workers should be able to clear the equipment and remove the temporary traffic lights.

A spokesperson for SGN said: “Urgent work to replace a leaking section of our gas network on Iford Roundabout is nearing completion. Our specialist contractors expect to finish replacing the affected pipes over the weekend.

"Once the engineering work is complete, we’ll restore the road surface and surrounding area to its original condition. This reinstatement process can take up to five days to complete.

"Temporary traffic lights will remain in operation on all approaches to Iford Roundabout until all our engineering and resurfacing work is complete for everyone’s safety.

"All being well, we should be able to clear our equipment and remove the temporary lights before next weekend.

"We apologise for any disruption this work may have caused the local community. Thank you for bearing with us while we carried out these essential pipe replacement works to ensure nearby homes and businesses continue to receive a safe and reliable supply of gas."

SGN is also working to repair a gas leak at Fountain Roundabout in Christchurch.

The bus lane at the roundabout remains closed and affected buses are being diverted.

No end date has been given for the works.

A spokesperson for SGN said: “It remains unclear at this stage how long it will take to complete this work.

"Please be assured every effort is being made to complete this repair as soon as possible to enable the safe reopening of the bus lane.”