PRINCESS Anne took a trip down Weymouth’s new relief road as she looked forward to its opening next month.

The Princess Royal was originally asked to officially open the new road but poor weather has meant that it will still be a month before it is ready for traffic.

She arrived by helicopter and was driven along the route from the Ridgeway to the Manor roundabout where work is still being finished off.

And the Princess unveiled a new plaque made by a Weymouth College student to be erected close to the Dorchester end of the new road.

Before unveiling the plaque, she told visiting schoolchildren and a gathering of dignitaries and relief road workers how she has travelled down the old A354 many times and so was also looking forward to seeing the new road open.

She said: “It’s lovely to see the progress that’s been made.

“I’ve been here enough to experience the road as well and I expect that a lot of people have been waiting patiently for this.

“And it’s not just about now it’s very much for the future.

“So I give my congratulations.”

After unveiling the plaque the princess chatted to student Ian Chalmers, who carved the plaque.

Mr Chalmers, 29, from Abbotsbury Road, Weymouth, said: “I told her I am happy with it and I was honoured to be asked to do the plaque.”

The princess – wearing a full length green coat and black boots - also took time to speak to the visiting primary school children and teachers waving Union flags.

Beth Randall, seven, from St Andrews Primary school, said the princess was “smart and friendly.”

And Charlotte Harris, eight, from Radipole Primary School, said: “I really liked coming down and to come and see a real Royal is really lucky.”

Among the workers she spoke to was general foreman Brian Freeman.

He said: “I said to her ‘it’s just a shame that it’s not going all the way to Portland’.

“She was very easy to talk to and made you totally relaxed.”

Princess Anne arrived by helicopter and was then driven along the road in a 4x4 from the top of the Ridgeway She was escorted by Matthew Piles, Dorset County Council’s strategic projects manager, along the route.

He said: “It was a pleasure and an honour. “I told her what the team has achieved and why I’m so proud of what we’ve done and she was very interested in all aspects of the road.

“She was interested in the engineering and environmental issues and how the relief road links up with the greater traffic network.”

The princess saw how most of the main carriageway is finished.

Once the road is opened among the work to be finished will be the slip roads close to the existing hairpin bend near Bincombe.