PRINCESS Anne will unveil a plaque to mark the opening of the Weymouth Relief Road – a month before it is open to traffic.

The Princess Royal will make a flying visit to the borough this week to inspect the road and declare it open – even though it will remain closed to traffic until the new year.

It was hoped the main carriageway from Manor Round-about to Ridgeway Hill would be ready to drive on by the time of the royal visit but poor weather has pushed the opening date back until around mid-January.

The overall scheme completion date of spring 2011 has not changed.

Princess Anne will unveil a plaque at the Ridgeway end of the road on Friday before travelling to Bournemouth where she will open a new Citizens Advice Bureau.

Dorset County Council says royal engagements have to be booked months in advance and it was anticipated earlier this year that the road would be open when the princess was due to visit.

The princess will be in Weymouth to thank the people who have contributed to the project and to tour the road.

A Buckingham Palace spokes-man said: “The Princess Royal will be visiting the relief road to mark its completion.

“Regarding the opening of the project, that is a matter for the local authority.”

The £87.4million scheme will improve journey times on the A354 between Weymouth and Dorchester and help to support public transport with the creation of a park and ride scheme at Lodmoor.

The scheme also includes improvements to Littlemoor Road, new footpaths, cycleways and bridleways and the removal of the existing A354 from the hairpin bend to the top of Ridgeway Hill. Although the main carriageway will be open in the new year there will still be much to do before the scheme is complete including work on the park and ride scheme, Bincombe junction, Littlemoor Road and landscaping.

Weymouth Relief Road project manager for Skanska Civil Engineering Willie McCormick said: “We now hope to open the main carriageway of the road early next year.

“This is slightly later than in our original programme, which had an ambitious target to open the main road in autumn this year.

“The whole scheme remains on target to be finished in spring 2011.”

Head of Highways for Dorset County Council Andy Acker-man said: “We’re thrilled that Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal will be coming to commemorate the construction of the long awaited relief road.”

He added: “The county council has had an extremely successful partnership with Skanska to date, which will continue over the coming months in the final push to complete the scheme.”