A MUM-of-three is so sick of the constant traffic outside her house she selling up and moving.
Becky Myers said the continuous roadworks on her street have caused gridlock in the town and she can’t take it any longer.
BNPSBecky Myers is selling her house because of constant traffic on her street[/caption]
BNPSTraffic caused by roadworks in Christchurch, Dorset[/caption]
The call handler, who has lived in Christchurch, Dorset, all her life, said: “This house was supposed to be my forever home but I have had enough.
“I’m fed up of looking outside my window and seeing the constant traffic.
“It is just one thing after another. They can never seem to fix it in one go. I can’t stand it. It’s miserable.”
Becky, who works for local transport firm Bournemouth Airport Transfer, said drivers are put off going into town as they can never find anywhere to park.
And it can take up to five times as long to get anywhere, meaning many residents stay indoors.
“This is supposed to be a beautiful historic town and it is going to waste,” Becky said.
“It makes me not want to leave the house because I’ll be stuck in traffic.
“The only reason I am putting the house up for sale is because of this.”
Wessex Water is carrying out emergency repairs to a damaged sewer pipe on the A35 Christchurch Bypass, with disruption expected to last for weeks.
But it is only the latest in a string of roadworks that has closed the right-hand lanes on each carriageway, residents say.
The continuous construction means traffic is incredibly slow moving in both directions, proving a nightmare for locals.
A retired couple, who wished not to be named, said they had stopped using their car as it took them up to an hour to get out of the town.
The woman said: “Everyone is fed up by it. It’s an old town made for horses and trams. We just don’t have the right infrastructure.
“We try not to use the car – it’s not worth taking it out.
“Sometimes we look out the window, see the traffic, and think, ‘oh, not today’.
“You could be 20 minutes waiting to get out – and it takes an hour to get out of town.”
I’m fed up of looking outside my window and seeing the constant traffic.
Becky Myers
The roadworks have also had a dramatic impact on nearby businesses as potential customers avoid the area.
Steve Davey, 65, manages the Castle Home Hardware Store and said trade had dropped by more than 50 per cent in the week since work began.
The father-of-two said it takes him an hour and a half to travel to work from his home three miles away – a journey which usually takes 20 minutes.
“I’ve worked at this store for 40 years and the traffic has just got worse and worse. It has become unbelievable,” he said.
“Everybody is avoiding the town centre because you just can’t get here.
“We’re an independent business which relies on that footfall.
“It is going to be like this for another four weeks.
“This is supposed to be the Christmas shopping rush, but this year there won’t be a Christmas in Christchurch for businesses like ours.
“We need that boost. Business is erratic enough as it is.”
‘IT IS DEVASTATING’
James Cocklin, owner of The Coffee Pot, stood with his arms folded, glumly surveying his empty business cafe at lunch time.
He said the roadworks were “devastating” and that he may be forced to close up shop.
The 47-year-old, who opened the business with wife Kelly five years ago, said: “It is devastating. They did the same last year – at exactly the same time.
“The road right outside was closed for a month – then in January they shut it again for three months. It just isn’t fair.
“We don’t want to be standing here, bored, staring out of the window at the traffic.”
James said that when the odd customer does walk in, all they do is complain about being bumper to bumper on the way there.
“When it started last week, the average wait time to get into town was 50 minutes. Buses won’t even drop people off here now,” he added.
“We had no notification that this work was going to happen.
“We’re at the point now where we just don’t see ourselves lasting.”
A Wessex Water spokesperson stressed the disturbance between the Purewell Cross and Fountain roundabouts is “short term”.
They added: “We’re sorry for delays caused by our emergency repairs.
“We’re working extended hours to complete the work quickly.”
BCP Council has been approached for comment.
BNPSBusiness owner Steve Davey said his three-mile journey to work can take an hour and a half[/caption]
BNPSCoffee shop owner James Cocklin described the disruption as ‘devastating’[/caption]
BNPSMum-of-three Becky said: ‘This is supposed to be a beautiful historic town and it is going to waste’[/caption] Read More