HIGHWAYS bosses say their "hands are tied" over roadworks on a busy A338 diversion route.

Temporary traffic lights will be placed on Stony Lane for three days next week when Bournemouth Water install a water main.

The work will start on Wednesday, with temporary traffic lights operating 24 hours a day, but controlled manually from 7am until 7pm.

The water main is for two new bungalows to the north of Campbell Road.

Despite attempts by Dorset County Council to delay the work until June 2016 or schedule it at night, the options were not considered 'practical'.

The work was already pushed back from it's original start date of October 6, to avoid a clash with the Wick Lane closure.

Sharnine Coleman, head of communications at Bournemouth Water said: "These works relate to the installation of a new water connection, which we are required by legislation to complete within 21 calendar days of request – they are therefore essential works."

She added: "In very particular circumstances, we may carry out such work on weekends, but this is exceptional.

"We are acutely aware of the traffic issues related to the roadworks on the A338, but these roadworks are of long duration and it would not be possible to try to work around them and meet our legal obligations."

Cllr Peter Finney, cabinet member for environment, said: "Our hands are tied in this circumstance; Bournemouth Water has agreed some work for one of its customers.

"We can ask companies to delay work and question if the work can be carried out differently, but we can’t be obstructive and prevent them from doing it.

"We asked Bournemouth Water if the work could be delayed until June 2016, or if the work could be carried out at night and the road returned to 2-way traffic during the day, but neither of these options were practical for this work.

"We are doing our best to co-ordinate works in the area to have the least disruption possible, particularly during the A338 rebuild."

Thousands of people have been caught in traffic delays across the conurbation after two crashes on Tuesday and one on Hurn Road on Thursday.

The collisions exacerbated delays already caused by work on the Spur Road, the A347 New Road and Wick Lane in Christchurch.

Many drivers use Stony Lane to access the Avon Causeway or to get through to Ringwood on the B3347, avoiding the A338.