GAS main works on Portland Beach Road are causing major problems with bus services.

Some buses run by First have taken more than an hour and a half to get on or off the island.

And passengers have had to endure long waits for a bus to arrive and even longer ones for the vehicle to get them where they want to go.

Weymouth First Operations manager Simon Newport said: "We have had to rethink this section of our service.

"Our main buses to Portland have been operating as normal but have been subject to heavy delays.

"We have tried to ease part of the burden on passengers by operating an extra service from Weymouth to Ferrybridge, which allows passengers on this section of the route to avoid delays because the bus can turn round at Ferrybridge before the main queues.

"We have also tried to regulate the services which go on to Portland to try and get buses to make regular headway so passengers don't have to wait too long at bus stops for a service to arrive.

"All this is costing First quite a lot in extra inspectors, buses and drivers.

"My main concern is not the current work, but all the work on the beach road which has not even started yet, such as the construction of a new roundabout later this year.

"Hopefully by then there will be a solution to the congestion."

Today was the third day the old mere road through the former naval base had been used to reduce congestion.

The South West Regional Development Agency, which has ordered the gas main works as part of redevelopment for the base, said it hoped an extra half an hour access to the mere road during morning rush hour would reduce queues even further.

Angry Portland county councillor Les Ames said the mere road scheme had only half worked because lorries couldn't get round the new route and still had to crawl along the beach road delaying smaller traffic behind them.

Agency staff later held talks to get the mere road opened up at 7am instead of 7.30am each day to try and reduce queues.

Mr Ames said: "It is working for people coming on to the island and for people with small vehicles, but lorries cannot get round the mere road so there is still congestion on the beach road as they try to get on and off the island.

"It has only half-cleared the problem.

"Something has got to be done and done now. What this work is costing Portland is unbelievable."

Agency development manager Bruce Voss said: "The mere road has helped but we hope to open it half an hour earlier in the morning to try and reduce queues even further."

Weymouth and Portland principal highways engineer Alan Muncaster said: "Some queues are up to three miles long and we advise drivers to think carefully and either stagger their journey to avoid peak periods or car share with someone else to reduce vehicle numbers."