MONTH-long roadworks to build an access road for a new emergency department at Dorset County Hospital have finished.

Temporary traffic lights have been in operation on Damers Road in Dorchester since January 6, and have now been removed. Work is still ongoing but the road is back to normal.

A new access road for visitors and patients is being created near the old entrance of the Damers School site. This will then provide ambulances with a separate, dedicated access route, as the existing access from Damers Road will not be affected by them.

Read more: Roadworks in Damers Road Dorchester for DCH extension

A spokesperson for Dorset County Hospital said: "The roadworks on Damers Road have now finished.

"Work to build an access road as part of the construction of our new emergency department and critical care unit is ongoing, but Damers Road is open as usual.

"Thank you for your patience while the roadworks were underway."

The Dorchester site has been earmarked for funding from the government's New Hospital Programme which will expand the hospital's services.

This includes the building of a new Emergency Department and Critical Care Unit being built on the former site of the Damers School building, which has already been demolished.

The project is costing around £80 million and DCH is trying to raise a further £2.5 million to fund enhanced facilities to make patient care and staff wellbeing even better.