A FOREST of traffic cones clogging a main artery in and out of Bournemouth for the past month could soon start disappearing.

The section of the northbound carriageway of the A338 Bournemouth, which has been closed for major repairs since mid-February, is set to be partially re-opened this weekend.

And the whole road is expected to be completely cleared by the middle of next week.

The news will come as a relief for drivers who have been caught up in the controversial contraflow system set up on a three-mile stretch of the southbound carriageway north of the Blackwater Bridge junction.

Long queues in both directions as drivers on the dual carriageway are funnelled into single file with a 40mph restriction have been blamed for nightmare jams, especially at peak times.

Drivers frustrated by the delays claim routine 10-minute journeys can take up to an hour and Bournemouth Airport issued a warning to passengers to allow extra travelling time for jams on the spur road.

But an early end is in sight to the motoring misery when the roadworks are completed ahead of the original six-week schedule.

A spokesman for Dorset County Council, which is carrying out the project, said the left-hand lane of the northbound carriageway was due to be re-opened at the end of this week and the remaining works should be completed by Wednesday or Thursday of next week.

As well as rebuilding and resurfacing the crumbling 40-year-old road, the work has also included improving the drainage on a section of the carriageway prone to flooding where there have been numerous accidents caused by drivers encountering pools of standing water.

  • Motorists in Poole are being warned to expect major delays at peak times as roadworks continue along the A35 Dorset Way.

Lanes are being closed on both east and westbound carriageways on the busy route from Old Wareham Road to Fleetsbridge for the next two weeks.

Off-peak lane closures are also expected for several days after that, as work is carried out on crossover points.

Poole Borough Council expects the work to be completed by Thursday, April 5, just before the Easter weekend.