A338 Bournemouth spur road: Hospital calls for roadworks changes

Dorset County Council said about 59,000 vehicles used the road each day

A Bournemouth hospital has called for changes to a road repair project following delays experienced by staff and patients.

Lane closures were put in place on the A338 Bournemouth Spur Road on Sunday and will last until May 2016.

Royal Bournemouth Hospital managers said they had made preparations but there had been delays at its exit.

Dorset County Council said the work was necessary to tackle the crumbling foundations of the road.

The first lane closures and reduced speed limits were put in place on Sunday and have led to delays of up to two hours by motorists trying to access the hospital.

Hospital staff have complained of delays of up to two hours. Patient Gloria House said she was "very frustrated" after missing an appointment because of the congestion.

A statement from Royal Bournemouth Hospital said it had warned staff and patients of likely disruption, and had extra staff in its car parks, but there were still delays caused by the build up of traffic on Castle Lane East.

The existing 40-year-old road surface shows signs of cracking

"Our priority remains providing healthcare to our patients from our region and in order to do this in the best way possible, we need to work on providing a good flow of traffic in and out of our sites," it said.

It said it would be asking for support from the police and discussing modifications of the coned off areas with the council.

Dorset County Council has advised drivers to plan their journeys and, if possible, use alternative routes while the resurfacing work was carried out.

Deputy leader Peter Finney previously said: "We do have a job to do and I would ask the public to have a little patience with us while we undertake this work."

Dates for further overnight closures can be found on the following website.

The £22m scheme, which is due to finish by 31 May 2016, has been funded by the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership.