ROADWORKS are being halted for one day only to minimise traffic chaos for Weymouth Carnival.

Construction on the town’s Olympic roundabouts and gas works on Boot Hill will be suspended on Wednesday August 18.

Dorset County Council’s highways team took the decision after talks with Southern Gas Networks.

Between 5pm on August 17 and 6am on August 19: * Boot Hill will be open to two-way traffic.

* Wyke Road will be open to two-way traffic at its junction with Rodwell Road.

* The temporary traffic lights on Rodwell Road will be removed.

* Hope Square will remain one-way, from Rodwell Avenue.

It comes after concerns about congestion caused by construction work for the Weymouth Transport Package (WTP).

The WTP visitor centre in Swannery Car Park will be closed on Wednesday, August 18, but will open again on Thursday, August 19 between midday and 2pm.

Matthew Piles, Dorset County Council project manager for the Weymouth Transport Package, said: “Although Weymouth suffers from congestion in the summer, the town’s road network will be under the most extreme pressure on Carnival Day.

“We wanted to do what we could to alleviate that and provide safety for road users.

“Between now and 2012 over £100 million will be spent on the transport and road network in Weymouth and Portland.

“This is a huge investment in physical junction improvements, cycleways, public transport and road maintenance.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a transport infrastructure for modern times, and create more travel choice for local residents.”

Mr Piles said that the roadworks were on target.

“Motorists will be glad to hear that the transport package is on schedule and that we are working hard to minimise disruption as far as we can.

“However I would like to remind drivers that the best way to go from Portland into Weymouth town centre is along the Lanehouse Rocks Road diversion.

“Using Hope Square as a short-cut is counter-productive – causing even longer tailbacks.”

Detailed information is on the website at www.dorsetforyou.com/weymouthtransport package.