A STRETCH of Boscombe’s biggest road will be hit by almost four months of roadworks from September.

Christchurch Road will be affected between Hannington Road and Gloucester Road as SGN engineers upgrade the gas network.

Traffic along the carriageway is so heavy that temporary traffic lights will be in operation for 12 hours a day, rather than just during peak times.

The road is home to businesses including Marco Polo restaurant, the China Dragon takeaway, the Boscombe East Post Office a branch of Kwik Fit and the Pokesdown Antique Centre.

It provides a major route for motorists travelling between the Iford Roundabout and Bournemouth, and is a key link between Boscombe and Pokesdown to the A338 Wessex Way.

Boscombe councillor Jane Kelly says she is concerned about the impact on businesses in the wider Boscombe area.

“It sounds like it could be chaos,” she said.

“I think it sounds like it’ll affect the precinct too. I’m sorry for all the shopkeepers.”

A representative from SGN said: “We’re starting work to upgrade our gas network in Christchurch Road on Monday, September 16. This essential work will take us approximately 14 weeks to complete.

“Following close consultation with the local authorities, we specifically planned our work to start after the summer to minimise disruption as much as possible.

“We’ll have two-way temporary traffic lights in place around our work area as we progress down the road.

“The temporary lights will be manually controlled to ensure continued traffic flow.

“Some side-street road closures will be in place as we continue down the road, to avoid the use of multi-way traffic lights. Access to businesses will be available at all times, but some parking restrictions will be in place throughout our project.

“We understand that roadworks can be frustrating, but by replacing our old, metal pipe with new plastic pipe, we’re ensuring a continued safe and reliable gas supply for many years to come.”

The roadworks will take place at the junctions with Hannington Road and Rosebury Road between September 16 and October 4, Queensland Road and Warwick Road between October 4 and 25, Parkwood Road and Somerset Road between October 25 and November 16, and Gloucester Road between November 16 and December 13.