DRIVERS are set to face more weeks of rush hour misery on one of Bournemouth's busiest routes, as new roadworks start on the Wessex Way near the town centre on Monday May 23.

A stretch of dual carriageway just past the Richmond Hill roundabout heading towards Poole will be down to one lane for around three weeks for safety barrier repairs.

Geoff Turnbull, engineering services manager from Bournemouth Borough Council said: "There was a road traffic accident there before Christmas, which necessitates the repairs to the safety barriers being carried out."

Hold-ups are inevitable at peak times on the busy commuter route, as traffic will have to filter into the outside lane for the duration of the work.

A spokeswoman for the council added: "It's only a short stretch of road, but unfortunately whenever you shut down a lane, it is going to impact on traffic."

The fresh set of roadworks follows months of contraflows and lane closures on the A338 earlier this year, as a £2.5million government-funded project to refurbish the road began early in January.

The scheme involved extensive resurfacing on a lengthy stretch of road from Bournemouth West roundabout at Cambridge Road to the St Paul's roundabout near Asda.

Busy slip roads at Richmond Hill were also closed off during the work, but although bad weather led to some delays, the project has now been completed.

Long-suffering motorists also had to endure the horrendous Castle Lane East roadworks in Bournemouth which finally ended after months of tailbacks and delays in September last year.

Shortly after that, drivers faced more hold-ups as major works on the A338 Spur Road near the Blackwater Junctions saw lanes closed, diversions and more delays.

First published: May 21