MOTORISTS are being urged to brace themselves for traffic chaos across Weymouth next week.

Borough engineering chiefs say a series of roadworks and traffic diversions around the town could spell misery on the roads for drivers.

Tailbacks are expected along the busy route into Weymouth town centre at Commercial Road near the Kings Roundabout all next week as contractors for Wessex Water start work in the area. They will be laying a main across the road for a new housing development.

A spokesman for the borough council said: "There are bound to be disruptions to traffic flows to this road which is the main access to the town, but these will be kept to a minimum as far as possible."

Radipole Lane will be closed to traffic at the bridge in Radipole Village next Wednesday and Thursday while repair works are carried out by British Telecom.

Traffic will be diverted from the south via Field Barn Drive or Granby Way, Weymouth Way and Dorchester Road and from the north via Dorchester Road, Weymouth Way and Field Barn Drive to Radipole Way.

Roadworks in Radipole Park Drive will also get under way as contractors make a start on widening the road between Jubilee Close and Kings Roundabout next week.

A spokesman said: "This scheme will provide an additional lane for vehicles leaving the business park and relieve congestion which often occurs in this stretch.

"There should be no disruption to traffic as the work will involve realigning the existing kerbing on both sides."

But there could be delays in Rodwell Avenue as contractors for Wessex Water carry out roadworks in connection with the West Weymouth sewerage scheme.

Custom House Quay at the junction with Commercial Road under the Town Bridge will also be a traffic blackspot as the road is closed while works for the Weymouth Tidal Defence Scheme are carried out.

Motorists who got caught up in the disruption in Dorchester Road at Upwey last week are being given advance warning of more of the same from Tuesday, December 12.

Resurfacing work to a number of trenches in the road between Stottingway Street and Ridgeway Hill is expected to take up to a week. Traffic controls will be put in place in the area and delays for motorists are predicted.