‘UNEXPECTED’ roadworks as part of a bigger improvement programme has forced the closure of a busy road in Weymouth for four weeks.

Wessex Water, which is a month into a major water main replacement programme along Dorchester Road, has been forced to dig up the junction at Mercery Road which was not in its original schedule.

The company has been using an innovative engineering technique in its works so far, but says due to ‘other utilities’ being present in the Mercery Road area it must revert to a full trench excavation, something which was unforeseen.

It means Mercery Road – which leads to the Weymouth Gateway retail site – has had to be closed at its southern end with no access to or from Dorchester Road for four weeks from today (Monday).

People can still access Weymouth Gateway, which includes Sainsbury’s, Beefeater, Premier Inn and the New Look offices, at the northern end via the relief road.

The process of closing a road would normally take three months to arrange with appropriate notice given, but because it is unexpected – and to avoid delaying the entire programme – Dorset County Council has pushed through a temporary traffic regulation order in just a week.

Temporary traffic lights are in place to allow works to take place.

A Wessex Water spokesman said as work on the Dorchester Road scheme is ahead of schedule these ‘unexpected’ works at Mercery Road should not delay the whole programme.

The company is investing £400,000 to replace ageing water mains along Dorchester Road from Manor roundabout to Lodmoor Hill with new plastic pipes to prevent future bursts and interruptions to water supply. Temporary traffic lights are being used as the work moves down the road to Lodmoor Hill. The work is scheduled to finish at the end of February.

The Wessex Water spokesman said the firm had informed businesses at Weymouth Gateway and had been assured it would not be a major problem as delivery lorries access the site via the northern end of Mercery Road. There are no concerns either from South Western Ambulance about ambulance station access, Wessex Water said.

Regarding bus service 2 to Littlemoor, which goes via Mercery Road, First Wessex says the buses will not serve the Sainsbury's bus stops. However buses will still go into Mercery Road at the northern end and pick up at the park & ride bus stops.

Simon Newport, general manager for First Wessex, said: “With major roadworks planned taking place for the next four weeks, service 2 will experience temporary changes."