ROADWORKS which closed a section of the Weymouth to Bridport coast road this week have been forcing drivers to take a 42-mile detour or negotiate narrow village lanes.

Burton Bradstock parish council chairman Roger Moody, who lives in Shipton Lane, said it looked like the work was going so well it could be finished today, November 14 – a day ahead of schedule.

Dorset County Council closed 600 metres of the road between 9am and 3.30pm for maintenance near Freshwater Holiday Park, outside Burton Bradstock.

The official diversion was through Chickerell, Weymouth, Dorchester, Winterborne Abbas and back to Bridport – a 42-mile journey.

DCC’s highways manager Kevin Cheleda said the urgent stabilisation and resurfacing required the road to be closed during the day.

Dr Moody said local drivers were more likely to cut through Shipton Gorge, rather than take the A35 diversion, but it appeared to be down to luck whether or not there was congestion.

Burton resident Judy Stanford said: “It has been awful in Shipton Lane.

“Wednesday was a bad day because of the recycling lorry.

“I met a bus on the nasty corner by the New Inn and that was interesting.

“There is a lesson to be learned – either go to Bridport before 9am or after 3.30pm.”

The work at Freshwater comes ahead of a 12-week closure in Abbotsbury in January when Wessex Water will be repairing water mains.