WORKERS near a new link road are not convinced that traffic lights are the answer to their congestion problems.

The £2.5m new Chickerell Link Road in Weymouth will join Hampshire Road and Chickerell Road and there will be new traffic lights with pedestrian crossings at each end.

The move has angered workers on the nearby Granby Industrial Estate, who say that congestion will still be a problem.

Designer Claire Prowse, who works at Swiftsigns in Surrey Close, said: "If it turns out to be anything like what we have when the temporary traffic lights go up we are going to have congestion.

"When the temporary lights were up it added five-10 minutes to my journey.

"It is hard to predict what the traffic flow will be like so we'll have to wait and see."

Human Resources manager David Mudge works at DEK in Albany Road.

He said: "I just hope those in charge of this know what they are doing.

"It has been some time since I saw the plans but it all depends on whether the traffic light programming is set up properly.

"There are other lights in Weymouth, at the Littlemoor junction on Dorchester Road for example, where it is terrible and things get badly backed up.

"Hopefully they will get it right here."

MoT tester Nathan Mudge from Class Bodyworks in Surrey Close said: "There were enough problems when they put up the temporary two-way traffic lights.

"Despite the fact that the link road is supposed to reduce congestion, I think there will still be problems.

"If you go up country there are more roundabouts. That's what we need."

The road's project manager, Matthew Piles of Dorset County Council, said: "There was never a roundabout in the plans for this road.

"Signals will help manage the traffic flow and they will be much better than the temporary lights we have used before.

"These lights will be intelligent and will work on demand rather than just change on certain timings. The county council is currently reviewing all junctions as part of a roads to Portland study to improve journey times."