LONG queues have been building up on one of the main routes into Dorchester with the start of works to replace a gas main.

The work began on Wednesday with the closure, for at least three weeks, of the Edward Road junction.

On Friday four-way traffic lights came into effect on all the junctions around Maumbury Cross and by 10am, normally a quiet time, led to queues back to the Stadium roundabout on the town's bypass and in the opposite direction to The Junction crossroads at the bottom of South Street.

Routes into Dorchester town centre, via Maiden Castle Road, Clarence Road and Maud Road, were noticeably busier, as drivers sought to avoid the backlog with queuing also taking place at the Maud Road/Damers Road junction and at the bottom of Damers Road at the Great Western Cross towards the town centre, as a consequence.

Bus stops onWeymouth Avenue, both to and from Weymouth and Dorchester, have been closed with services running up to 20 minutes late because of the slow traffic around the works.

The next phase of the gas main replacement is to close Maumbury Road from its junction with Weymouth Avenue to its junction with Herringston Road, potentially until the end of August.

Southern Gas Networks say access for residents, and for deliveries to properties in the closed sections of those roads, will be maintained.

Said project manager Adam Tubb : "We're sorry for the disruption these works will cause, our engineers will be doing all they can to complete this work without delay. Please accept our apologies in advance for any inconvenience we cause."

Not all drivers appear to be aware of the well-publicised Edward Road closure – on two days in a row, on Wednesday and Thursday, unmarked emergency services vehicles with lights and sirens in use sped down the eastern section of Coburg Road heading for the Edward Road junction, only to dash back again seconds later.