THE new year is bringing a new headache for drivers who are facing a barrage of roadworks.

Various projects around Weymouth and Portland and west Dorset by utility companies and the county council have already started or are set to begin this month.

Temporary lights will be switched on to control traffic.

Drivers are urged to be patient while these essential works are carried out.

However, businesses are already experiencing problems with works which have begun in Weymouth.

The biggest project is a major electricity scheme costing £2.6m which will cause hold-ups on the A354 between Wyke Regis and Portland. The first phase of work will last four months.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is replacing 7km of electricity cable to make the local network "more robust and resilient and minimise the risk of power cuts for customers in the area".

The project is due to last for most of 2018 and will be delivered in two phases – cable installed along Portland Beach Road and in parts of Weymouth between January and April.

There will then be a break for the summer before teams are back in September to remove the old cable next to Chesil Beach.

SSEN says the initial work on Portland Beach Road will begin on Monday, January 15.

Teams will work there for about five weeks, before the route continues into Portland Road at Wyke Regis where teams will complete the installation.

In total, this part of the project will last about 16 weeks.

All roads will remain open although temporary traffic lights will be switched on at the start and finish of each short section of road being worked on as the teams progress along the route.

Miles Crossley, SSEN’s Strategic Investment Project Manager, said: “We want to do everything we can to keep the lights on for our customers, and our project to replace the current cable is an essential part of this commitment.

"As with any work on the highway, there will be an element of unavoidable disruption and I would like to reassure commuters and the communities that we will do all we can to keep this to a minimum.”

There is a break in the works for the summer to avoid disrupting the breeding season for birds on Chesil Beach.

Mr Crossley added: “As a responsible network operator, we understand the significance of the beach to the local bird community and are grateful for all the help we have received from Natural England to ensure that our essential work does not disturb their breeding season.”

Kevin Moore from the Little Ship pub on Portland said: “I knew nothing about the planned works on the Portland Beach Road, this in fact is the first I have heard of it.

“This could affect my deliveries depending on the traffic, and it could be a problem."

Other big projects in the area which will affect roads include Wessex Water works in St Thomas Street and at Preston (see below), four months of junction improvement works in Williams Avenue and Damers Road, Dorchester, work throughout January to construct a cycleway next to the A37 at Wrackleford (traffic management at off-peak times), and drainage works throughout January and into February on the B3157 coast road at Goose Hill, Portesham (two-way lights 9am-4pm).

Councillor Daryl Turner, Dorset County Council cabinet member for the natural and built environment, said: “Utility companies have a right to access their apparatus under our road network, but we are able to negotiate timings and traffic management to minimise the impact of their works and ensure major projects on our roads don’t clash.

“The high voltage cable work on Portland Beach Road will be disruptive due to the nature of the road, but there is no other way for this maintenance activity to be carried out by SSE, and this is the best time of year for such a major piece of work to be done on this busy route.

“Elsewhere in west Dorset, the county council is carrying out drainage maintenance and cycleway works, but we’re able to complete these works off-peak to minimise disruption.

“No-one likes their journey to be interrupted by roadworks, but utilities apparatus and our highways need to be maintained.

"Please allow extra time to get to your destination and try to be patient.”

Dorset Echo:

WATER main replacement work has begun this week in Preston in Weymouth (above) in a scheme lasting until mid-February involving temporary traffic lights and road closures.

Wessex Water is replacing mains in Preston Road and Sutton Road, Sutton Poyntz, in order to reduce the risk of interruptions to the area’s water supply from leaks and bursts.

There are now temporary lights in place in Preston Road, controlling traffic between Preston village hall and the junction with Sutton Road, with the lights in place until Friday, February 2.

Sutton Road will then be closed from the junctions with Preston Road and Verlands Road from Monday, February 5 to Sunday, February 11, with access to Verlands Road maintained.

The scheme will be completed when a different section of Sutton Road at Puddledock Lane is closed from Monday, February 12 to Friday, February 16 with access to Verlands Road still maintained.

Overnight closures are also planned, from 10pm till 6am, in order to complete the works as quickly as possible.

Barbara Clements of the Spar shop in Preston Road said: “The lights aren’t situated in the right places, and lorries can’t pull onto our driveway.

“Not much has happened since they set up the lights, and there is no sign stating that businesses are open as usual. They did come before but why set up if you don’t start straight away?

“I understand it will cause disruptions, but our deliveries will block the road.”

Design engineer Alan Marler from Wessex Water said: “Where we can we’ll be using an innovative technique to renew the water mains which allows pipes to be replaced without having to excavate long trenches along the roads.

“This will minimise disruption, and we are doing everything we can to complete works as quickly and safely as possible.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this essential work to replace supply pipes that are old and deteriorating.”

This is the latest project by Wessex Water in their scheme to improve water quality and supply in the area.

Dorset Echo:

WORK is underway on a water main replacement project in Weymouth town centre (above).

St Thomas Street is at the centre of engineering work which is being carried out by Wessex Water, with New Bond Street also being affected.

Wessex Water is working in the area to replace an ageing water main in a section of St Thomas Street from New Bond Street to the junction with St Edmund Street near the Crown Hotel.

The works are scheduled until the end of February, with disruption expected to both pedestrians and traders.

The road itself is mainly a pedestrian zone, with taxi drivers moved to nearby St Nicholas Street, and delivery drivers having to park elsewhere to make deliveries.

However this isn’t without its problems.

For taxi drivers, customers used to the rank being on St Thomas Street may not be aware of where the taxi rank has moved to.

For traders to receive deliveries, the drivers will either have to park on double yellow lines on the seafront, or rely on parking up somewhere and running stock over.

Fiona Penny, owner of Sunflowers florist said: “The road closed today, and we couldn’t get our van down, but we have been able to reverse the car down thankfully.

“It is hard, and our delivery lorry won’t be able to get down the road, so will have to park on double yellow lines on the seafront.

“Given the situation, you hope that traffic wardens are lenient, because we will have to break a few rules to carry out trading.

“In the long-term there will need to be a better solution, otherwise making deliveries to our clients will be impossible, and our displays could be destroyed by wind and rain if we have to park on the seafront and run them over.”

Andrew Knowles, President of the Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Commerce said: “It must be very frustrating for traders to have access restricted.

“However, it’s important that infrastructure work is carried out.

“Hopefully Wessex Water, traders and the local authorities can co-operate to make this as painless as possible.”

The scheme by Wessex Water is part of a project to improve water quality and supply in the main areas.