WORKS at Tuckton Roundabout have caused traffic chaos with queues along Tuckton Road and the surrounding areas.

One business which said it had been subjected to noise and queues outside the store for two weeks described the work as "unbearable".

Traffic control including multi-way signals have been put in place near the roundabout for the ‘statutory infrastructure works’ being undertaken by CityFibre.

On Tuesday, October 25, cars queued along the high street and down the side roads to get around the four-way roundabout which leads to Christchurch and Southbourne.

Businesses in Tuckton Road high street said their footfall had dropped as people were avoiding the area.

Sue who manages Prama charity shop said: “Business has been a lot slower and as a charity we’ve had less donations because people can’t stop outside to drop them off.

"We never received a letter of notification from CityFibre that the works were happening so it caught us by surprise.

"I know other businesses along the high street have been suffering particularly the post office.

"It took me 45 minutes to an hour, to get around the roundabout into Christchurch the other day and when the traffic lights were right outside the shop it was unbearable.”

Another business said its staff were struggling to get home at the end of the day.

A spokesperson from Health Point Pharmacy said: “It took one of our customers who lives nearby, an hour to get here.

"We’ve had lots of noise outside, I don’t think anyone wanted to come in, all of our customers mentioned it and staff don't really want to come in because it takes such a long time to get home.

"We’re all parking further away and taking detours because the queues go all the way down the road. This has been going on for two weeks now."

Another staff member described the work as ‘ridiculous.’

For the past two days, bus operator Morebus warned passengers of delays to services caused by the works and has apologised to customers for the inconvenience.

 

A spokesperson for CityFibre said: “We are investing £30m to transform Bournemouth’s digital capabilities through the rollout of our full fibre network.

"In Tuckton Road, we’re installing state of the art infrastructure which will benefit dozens of homes and businesses in the area.

"This is a major undertaking, which is why we are working closely with our build partner, local authorities and the council’s highways team to ensure all works are delivered as effectively and efficiently as possible.

"We’d like to reassure residents that we are doing everything possible to manage disruption.

"For example, we always endeavour to alert the local community before works start in their area, including via direct mails, door knocking, and press releases through the local media.

"In Tuckton Road, we are not aware of any complaints being made directly to CityFibre, however, we’d like to remind residents that we are always happy to hear their feedback, and that any concerns are taken seriously and managed through our robust complaints handling process.

“We are grateful for the continued support we’ve received from residents and ask that they continue to bear with us while we work to future-proof the district’s digital infrastructure.”

The work is expected to conclude on Thursday, October 27.