WEYMOUTH is bracing itself for more hold-ups on the town's roads.

Worst affected will be King Street - the resort's busiest street - which will be closed in one direction for about two weeks.

Interested groups have met with water company officials in a bid to work out the best way to cope with the disruption.

Council chiefs, Wessex Water, the Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Commerce, taxi drivers and bus companies said they held a 'very productive' meeting to discuss details of the scheme.

Chamber of Commerce president David Johnston said: "We had a very constructive meeting and hope we have worked out a plan that will minimise disruption.

"There are problems in Weymouth even without King Street being closed, but if we all work together we hope that it will be advantageous."

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council has also unveiled its autumn schedule of resurfacing works which will affect the two main routes out of the town - Preston Road and Dorchester Road - and Lanehouse Rocks Road and Portland Road.

Engineers say disruption should be kept to a minimum during the ten days of works but drivers will be all too aware of the problems traffic control and road closures bring.

It is expected that Wessex Water will start in November on four weeks of work to replace a 100-year-old water main in King Street and Commercial Road. King Street will be affected for about two weeks.

The preferred option to control traffic is to make King Street one way between the Jubilee Clock and King's roundabout while vehicles travelling up from King's roundabout will be diverted onto Weymouth Way.

Traffic turning out of Queen Street left into King Street should not be affected.

John Brooks of the Weymouth Station Taxi Association said he favoured a one-way system in King Street.

But Calvin Stone, who runs the Weyline taxi firm in Queen Street, said he had not heard of the plan.

He said: "It's typical. Every winter someone goes and digs up the roads.

"The town's traffic problems are notorious. I've been all over the country but I've not known problems like we have here."

Kev Jeram, manager of RKL Tools & Hardware in King Street, said he also was not aware of the plan.

He said: "As far as deliveries go we'll have to play it by ear.

"It sounds like it could be chaos but at least someone's had the common sense not to dig up the road in the summer."

Alan Muncaster, principal highways engineer for Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, said essential resurfacing work should start on roads in the borough in October, taking a maximum of ten days.

He said work will be carried out during the evening where possible on Dorchester Road but traffic control will be in place during the day at various locations and it will be necessary to close Portland Road near All Saints Church over a couple of days.