Dorset Roadworks This Week: A31 Shut at Night, Ferry Stops

Dorset is a large rural county with two trunk roads and very few alternatives to them. When the A35 or the A31 shuts, the diversion is not a parallel dual carriageway. It is a lane through a village. That is why a road closure here matters more than the same closure would in a town.

This page tracks the Dorset roadworks that are genuinely booked and dated. Everything below was checked on 6 October 2026, and the National Highways nights again on 9 October, the Sherborne dates on 11 October, and the A31 and the Weymouth bus diversions again on 13 October, and the trunk roads, notices and trains again on 16 October, 20 October, 23 October and 27 October, against Dorset Council’s live programme of road works, its live travel updates, its newsroom, its statutory notices of 1 October, and the National Highways seven day closure report, which on 27 October listed closures from 26 October up to the morning of 2 November.

The week ahead, in one look

• The A31 past Wimborne shuts on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November, 9pm to 6am, between Roundhouse and Lake Gates, for inspection and survey work. National Highways’ report of 26 October lists both nights.
• The A31 slip roads at West Moors close at night this week: the eastbound pair on Thursday 29 October and the westbound pair on Friday 30 October, 9pm to 6am.
• The Bere Regis to Roundhouse resurfacing has no more nights listed. The last one was Friday 23 October.
• Rail cuts this weekend. On Saturday 31 October London trains to Weymouth stop at Brockenhurst; on Sunday 1 November they stop at Eastleigh. Buses link both to Bournemouth. Details below.
• The Sandbanks chain ferry runs for the last time before its refit on Sunday 1 November, then is out for about seven weeks. Details below.
• Dorchester Road in Weymouth is closed for gas main replacement until Christmas. First Bus diverts services 2, 10 and X51 from 23 October. Our full story.
• Wraxall Lane at Lower Wraxall, about 1,400 metres between South Wraxall Farm and Grovestall Farm, is shut from Monday 26 October because the road is unsafe. The council’s order of 22 October gives no reopening date.
• Sherborne’s A352 Ottery Lane junction has temporary traffic signals. The council still gives two answers for the night closures: 26 to 31 October on its notice and project page, “early November” in its updated news release. Signs on site give the exact nights.
• The Flying Scotsman runs on the Swanage Railway this half term, with a 30mph limit at Harmans Cross and a closed bridge road in Swanage on its running days. Dates and tickets here.

The A31: the nights are now listed

National Highways’ order allows it to close both carriageways of the A31 between Bere Regis Roundabout, where it meets the A35, and Roundhouse Roundabout, where it meets the A350 west of Wimborne, for resurfacing. The details come from the company’s own statutory notice, published on 24 September.

The seven day closure report gives the actual nights. The first two weeks ran every weeknight from 5 October, and the road was shut all weekend from 9pm on Friday 16 October to 6am on Monday 19 October. The report for the week from 19 October lists the carriageway closure, both directions, for resurfacing:

When	Closed
Monday 19 October	9pm to 6am Tuesday
Tuesday 20 October	9pm to 6am Wednesday
Wednesday 21 October	9pm to 6am Thursday
Thursday 22 October	9pm to 6am Friday
Friday 23 October	9pm to 6am Saturday

The reports published on 22 and 26 October list no Bere Regis to Roundhouse closure after Friday 23 October. The 26 October report runs to the morning of 2 November. National Highways has not said the job is finished, but no more nights are booked.

The stretch east of it, past Wimborne, shuts again this weekend. The 26 October report lists Roundhouse to Lake Gates, both directions, closed 9pm to 6am on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November, for inspection and survey work. The same stretch was shut on the nights of 24 and 25 October. It runs from the A350 junction west of Wimborne along the bypass. The report gives no diversion for it.

The West Moors slip roads close at night too. The report lists:

• the eastbound entry and exit slips at West Moors, 9pm Thursday 29 October to 6am Friday
• the westbound entry and exit slips at West Moors, 9pm Friday 30 October to 6am Saturday

Both are for maintenance, with a lane closure on the main road.

What the order says about the rest of the job:

• the work is expected to last about four weeks from Monday 5 October
• a full weekend closure from 9pm on Friday 16 October to 6am on Monday 19 October, proposed in the order and then listed in the closure report
• lay-bys and bus stops on the stretch stay closed 24 hours a day
• the diversion is the A35 and the A350, in either direction
• access to homes and farms fronting the road is maintained under escort

The stretch carried an average of 19,681 motor vehicles a day in 2024, 765 of them lorries, according to the Department for Transport’s automatic counter on the link. Read the full story: A31 to shut at night for four weeks.

Over the border in Wiltshire, the report lists the A36 closed between Cotley Hill and Deptford every night from 26 to 29 October and again on 1 November, 9pm to 6am, with slip roads at the A303 Deptford junction shut on the same nights. The diversion is the A350 and the A303. The A303 eastbound between Tinkers Hill and Mere shuts from 8pm on Thursday 29 October to 6am, with a diversion via the B3081 and the A350.

The A35: Miles Cross

At Miles Cross, west of Bridport, the A35 had night works in both directions from 8pm to 6am on Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 October. No further A35 nights are listed up to 26 October. The report called it three-way traffic lights for roundabout construction, and described the overall scheme as a full closure to install a temporary barrier and narrow lanes for the Miles Cross development. Expect more night works here as the roundabout is built.

The roundabout work is already moving buses. First Bus says the X51, X53 and A3 divert via Sea Road South to the A35 because of the Miles Cross roundabout construction, and do not serve the stops between Park Road and Sprakes Corner, until further notice.

The A30 and A35 west of Dorchester were a DBFO concession operated by Connect, with Balfour Beatty doing the work, due to hand back to National Highways on 30 September 2026. The summer of closures was the renewals programme before that handback, as set out in the National Highways notification republished by Charmouth Parish Council in July.

The speed limits have also changed. In January 2026 National Highways began delivering the A35 Charmouth to Yellowham speed reduction scheme, a £1.8 million safety project along a 26-mile stretch. The latest five years of validated collision data on that section recorded 199 collisions, 305 casualties and three deaths. The scheme installs average speed cameras in Winterbourne Abbas, Morcombelake and Chideock, with new limits including 50mph between Coombe Road and Monkey’s Jump Roundabout, 50mph between West Stinsford Roundabout and the Cuckoo Lane overbridge, and 30mph between Hollow Way and Howard Road.

Further east, on the council’s part of the A35, a temporary 30mph limit at Morden is due from 15 October. It covers about 1,600 metres east of the access road to Black Heath Farm, so works vehicles can reach Blackheath Water Recycling Centre. The council’s notice of 24 September anticipates it staying until 31 March 2028.

Closed right now

• Wraxall Lane, Lower Wraxall: about 1,400 metres closed from 26 October because the road is unsafe, with no end date given.
• B3162 at North Bowood, near Bridport: about 1,320 metres closed from Stoke Road to The Lodge from 19 October until about 6 November, for a Wessex Water main. The diversion is the B3163 and A3066. The order is made.
• Chancery Lane, Bridport: about 35 metres closed to pedestrians, cyclists and riders until about 30 October, for a water main connection.
• Kings Road and Athelstan Road, Dorchester: closed until about 11 December.
• Fairfield Road, Dorchester: the pedestrianised section is closed 24 hours a day from 28 September for around nine weeks.
• Roads around West Milton, near Powerstock: the C44, Ridgeback Lane and Ruscombe Lane closed from 6 October until about 30 October, for Wessex Internet fibre.
• Gatemore Road, Winfrith Newburgh: closed for about 40 metres from the A352 until about 30 October, for a Wessex Water main. The order is now made.
• Church Lane, Buckland Ripers: closed for Wessex Internet, due to finish about 23 October. There is no diversion.
• Five lanes at Chetnole (Deep Ford Lane, Dunch Lane, Yetminster Road, Batcombe Lane): short closures for Wessex Water until about 5 November.
• Rabling Road, Swanage: 30 metres from the A351 closed until about 11 December, as an SGN compound.
• A3066 Tunnel Road, Beaminster: temporary traffic lights both ways near Beaminster Tunnel, for emergency repairs, until 2 November.
• Abbotsbury Road and Chickerell Road, Weymouth: the 12-week junction job continues, with temporary signals until late November.

The B3157 through Abbotsbury, Colway Lane in Lyme Regis and the Blandford bypass resurfacing were all due to finish by 16 October, and the Weymouth Esplanade night closures and Portland’s Greenways micro surfacing by 17 October.

Sherborne: junction works under way, night closures next

Work at the A352 Ottery Lane and Westbury junction in Sherborne now starts on Tuesday 13 October, a week later than first announced. Dorset Council updated its news release to say it postponed the start after feedback from the town council and residents about the location of the Pack Monday Fair.

Temporary traffic signals are needed during construction. The updated release puts the overnight closures for resurfacing in “early November”, with signed diversions. The council’s project page still gave the old dates (a 5 October start and nights from 26 to 31 October) when we checked again on 27 October. Its live programme of road works lists no Sherborne closure for this week.

The council’s statutory notice of 8 October also gives 26 to 31 October, 8pm to 6am, for the resurfacing closures. They would cover:

• the A352 Ottery Lane, from Horsecastles to Westbury
• about 50 metres of the A352 south of Westbury
• about 50 metres of Westbury north of the A352

The notice says the closures apply “as and when indicated by signs on site”, with warning signs going up two weeks ahead giving the exact dates. So the nights are not fixed yet. Watch for the signs, or call Dorset Highways on 01305 221020.

The scheme gives traffic on the A352, and between the A352 and the A30, the right of way. The council says the present layout pushes through traffic into Westbury and Acreman Street. The work also includes new crossings, street lighting changes, drainage and resurfacing.

Portland: Chesil Cove seawall repairs

Dorset Council said on 28 September that repairs to the Chesil Cove seawall would start on or around 5 October and take about two weeks, weather and tides permitting. Inspections found holes in the steel piling and voids behind it.

• a construction compound is set up near Victoria Square
• machinery reaches the site along Chesil Beach
• the south steps beside the works are closed until the repairs finish
• access to the beach stays open by the north steps

What is closed and when

Everything in this chart is a full closure, except the Beaminster and Sherborne lights, the A37 lane closure and the ferry. Roads are open outside the hours shown.

Weymouth Esplanade was closed overnight from 8pm to 6am until 17 October, and the Wessex Stadium roundabout follows from 19 to 23 October, also 8pm to 6am. The council’s statutory notice for the Esplanade, dated 3 September, covers Greenhill from Westerhall Road to Waterloo Place, the whole of Waterloo Place, the Esplanade from Waterloo Place to Alexandra Gardens, and the whole of King Street. Overnight clearways apply, and a car left on the closed sections can be removed.

During those closures First Bus ran routes 1, 2, 4, 10, X51 and X53 via King Street and Weymouth railway station between 8pm and 6am.

The roundabout now has its own order, made on 15 October after a notice of intent on 1 October. It closes all approaches to the Wessex Stadium roundabout, and Radipole Lane from the roundabout to Cumberland Drive, at night, for highway maintenance. The order runs from 19 October, with the work expected to finish by 28 October. The council’s live programme gives the closure nights as 19 to 23 October.

Weymouth: Dorchester Road closes from 19 October

The order is now made. Dorset Council’s notice of 15 October says it comes into operation on 19 October so SGN can replace gas mains on Dorchester Road, with the work expected to finish by 19 March 2027. It runs in two phases:

• Phase 1: full closure between Milton Terrace and Monmouth Avenue, from 19 October to Christmas
• Phase 2: one-way closure, northbound, between Monmouth Avenue and Icen Road, from 4 January to 19 March 2027

The signed diversion uses the B3155, A353, A354 and B3159. SGN’s number for the works, from the notice, is 07970 021454.

First Bus has published its diversion for services 2, 10 and X51. When we checked on 20 October the notice was dated effective 23 October to 27 December. Its earlier notice says “local arrangements” apply from 19 to 24 October, without saying what they are. On the diversion, buses run via Weymouth Way and Mercery Road. Prince Regent, Westerhall, Lodmoor Hill, Old Police Station and Famous Old Spa stops are not served in either direction, and Morrisons is missed outbound. An earlier First Bus notice says buses return to their normal routes from 19 December to 3 January for a Christmas break in the works.

Dorchester Road is the B3159 through Radipole. It overlaps with the Wessex Stadium roundabout nights, the Marsh Road closure and the Chickerell Road junction job, all in the same part of town. Our full story: Dorchester Road to close until Christmas.

Coming in November near Bridport

George Street in West Bay will close for about 30 metres, between number 5 and number 7, from 2 November until about 10 November, so SGN can make a gas disconnection. The council’s notice of 15 October gives the B3157 as the alternative route. It is an intended order for now.

New closures in the 22 October notices

Dorset Council’s notice of 22 October adds these:

Road	Dates	Why	Status
Wraxall Lane, Lower Wraxall, about 1,400 metres	From 26 Oct, no end date given	Unsafe highway	Made
Rodden Lane, Rodden, about 425 metres	2 Nov to 22 Dec	Wessex Water main relining	Intended
New Barn Road, Rodden, about 240 metres	4 to 22 Jan 2027	Wessex Water main relining	Intended
Blandford Road, Milton Abbas, High Lodge to Cathrines Well	9 to about 12 Nov, 9am to 4pm	Resurfacing	Intended
Chickerell Road, Weymouth, Roundhayes Close to no. 246, and Abbotsbury Road, Dennis Road to Chickerell Road	23 to about 27 Nov, 8pm to 6am	Resurfacing and lining	Intended

A second notice the same day closes about 80 metres of Sandy Lane, Upton, from Lytchett Way, between 16 November and about 4 December for SGN gas main work. It also bans U-turns on Lonsdale Road at Leigh Road, Wimborne, from 30 October.

New closures in the 8 and 15 October notices

Dorset Council’s notices of 8 October and 15 October add these. The biggest is a three-week closure of part of the A352, the Dorchester to Sherborne road, at Minterne Magna.

Road	Dates	Why	Status
A352 at Minterne Magna, about 770 metres from the C29 to the Manor Farm entrance, then the C29 for about 1,000 metres west	2 to about 24 Nov, in two phases	Openreach ducting	Intended
Moreton Road, Church Lane and Gallows Hill, Owermoigne	2 Nov to 1 Dec, in phases	Wessex Internet fibre	Intended
Whitings Bridge, Guys Marsh, Cann (near Shaftesbury)	2 to about 13 Nov	Council bridge maintenance	Intended
Cattistock village roads, including Duck Street, The Square and Kennel Lane	6 Nov to about 11 Dec, in phases	Wessex Internet fibre	Intended
The Street, Motcombe, outside the Post Office	27 Oct to about 6 Nov	Sewer connection	Made
Six roads in Leigh, including Chetnole Road and Back Drove	27 Oct to about 3 Dec, in phases	Wessex Water sewer works	Intended

On the A352 at Minterne Magna the notice promises a locally signed diversion but does not name the route. Gallows Hill in Owermoigne has no diversion.

New closures in the 1 October notices

Dorset Council published five bundles of notices on 1 October. “Made” means the order exists. “Intended” means the council has given notice that it plans to make one.

Road	Dates	Why	Status
Newmans Drove, Shillingstone, about 825 metres north from Bere Marsh	8 Oct to about 4 Nov, as signed	Council resurfacing	Made
Ridgeway Lane, Hinton St Mary, about 300 metres east of Hinton Drive	8 Oct to about 5 Nov, as signed	Council resurfacing	Made
Marsh Road, Weymouth, Chickerell Road to Weston Road	9 Oct to about 16 Nov	SSEN electricity reinforcement	Made
Valley Road and an unnamed road, Tarrant Gunville	12 Oct to about 18 Dec	SSEN 11kV cable	Made
Dorchester Road, Weymouth	19 Oct to Christmas, then northbound only to 19 Mar 2027	SGN gas mains	Intended
Wessex Stadium roundabout and Radipole Lane, Weymouth	Nights, 19 to about 28 Oct	Council maintenance	Intended
B3162 at North Bowood, about 1,320 metres from Stoke Road	19 Oct to about 6 Nov	Wessex Water main	Intended
School Lane, Bradford Peverell, A37 to the railway bridge	19 Oct to about 27 Nov	Council footway and road works	Intended
Chancery Lane, Bridport, about 35 metres (pedestrians)	19 to about 30 Oct	Water main connection	Intended
A351 Valley Road, Harmans Cross, temporary 30mph	24, 25, 28, 29 Oct and 1 Nov	Flying Scotsman crowds	Intended
Northbrook Road, Swanage, Gilbert Road to Court Road	24, 25, 28, 29 Oct and 1 Nov	Flying Scotsman crowds at the railway bridge	Intended

On Newmans Drove and Ridgeway Lane the council says signs will go up two weeks ahead with the exact closure dates. The B3162 diversion is via the B3163 and A3066. A separate order also removed a number of disabled parking bays in Dorchester, Ferndown, Portland, Sherborne and Weymouth from 2 October. The exact locations are on the council’s traffic orders page.

The A37 near Dorchester: lane closure from 19 October

Dorset Council said on 2 October that it will rebuild the crossing at Higher Wrackleford, on the A37 between Dorchester and Maiden Newton, from 19 October to 27 November. A lane closure will be in place on the A37 throughout, and School Lane will be closed, with access kept for school buses. The work removes the barriers in the middle of the crossing, widens footways and changes the School Lane junction to slow traffic.

Dinah’s Hollow: on track for the end of the year

The slope stabilisation scheme on the C13 at Dinah’s Hollow, near Melbury Abbas south of Shaftesbury, is in its final phase. The council said on 2 October that nearly 1,500 soil nails have gone in since January. Drainage, kerbs, surfacing and landscaping remain, and the council says the scheme is on track to finish by the end of 2026.

The micro surfacing streets

The council’s micro surfacing programme, as listed on 20 October, has one road left: Hardy Crescent in Wimborne, 19 to 20 October, closed 9am to 5pm. The Portland, Bradpole and Bridport streets listed last week were all due to finish by 19 October. Victoria Grove in Bridport, which dropped off the council’s page, has its own order for 19 to 23 October (see above).

The council’s page says roads are open at weekends “unless stated otherwise”, so go by the signs on the street.

Still to come from earlier notices

• B3069 at Kingston, Worth Matravers and Langton Matravers: from 8 October, 9am to 4pm, until about 6 November, for resurfacing. Exact dates for each section go on signs two weeks ahead.
• Black Moor Road, Verwood, Ringwood Road to Taunus Way: 7 to about 31 October, for National Grid.
• Thorncombe village centre: 12 October to about 13 November (intended).
• Jericho, Lyme Regis: 12 October to about 30 April 2027 (intended).
• Rushall Lane, Lytchett Matravers: 26 October to about 2 November (intended).

These come from the council’s 24 September bundles for Purbeck, east Dorset, west Dorset, Chetnole and Buckland Ripers. Gatemore Road, Chetnole and Buckland Ripers are now made and listed above under closed right now. We could not confirm on 16 October whether the others have been made.

Weymouth: 12 weeks of traffic lights, and a night closure in November

Dorset Council started work on Monday 7 September at the junction of Abbotsbury Road and Chickerell Road, and expects to finish by Friday 27 November. Temporary two-way traffic signals are in place on Chickerell Road for the whole period. Abbotsbury Road and Chickerell Road close from 23 November until 27 November, 8pm to 6am, with a signed diversion.

More than 10,000 vehicles a day use Chickerell Road and around 8,000 use Abbotsbury Road.

The trains

The weekend of 24 and 25 October, when no trains ran between Southampton and Bournemouth, is over. Two more days of cuts follow this weekend.

On Saturday 31 October the lines in the Brockenhurst area close all day. SWR’s November works page says:

• Waterloo to Weymouth trains terminate at Brockenhurst
• buses run from Brockenhurst to Bournemouth, and non-stop from Southampton Airport Parkway to Bournemouth
• a revised service runs between Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth

On Sunday 1 November the Southampton Central area closes all day again. Waterloo to Weymouth trains terminate at Eastleigh, the afternoon and evening Waterloo to Poole trains do not run, and a revised service runs between Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. Buses run between Eastleigh, Southampton Airport Parkway and Bournemouth, and between Southampton Central and Bournemouth.

On the same Sunday, Waterloo to Exeter trains terminate at Yeovil Junction, with buses on to Exeter St Davids. Sherborne and Gillingham keep their trains to London.

West of England line. South Western Railway has cut the Yeovil Junction to Exeter St Davids service to one train every two hours, and runs one train an hour between London Waterloo and Yeovil Junction, because of speed restrictions after dry weather destabilised the track bed between Salisbury and Exeter. SWR’s West of England changes page puts the penalty at about 24 minutes extra towards Exeter and 27 minutes coming back, and about 3 minutes out and 13 minutes back for Yeovil Junction. There is still no end date. SWR now says its journey planners are up to date. Gillingham (Dorset) and Sherborne are on this line.

Weymouth line. Earlier this month the same SWR page said trains between Brockenhurst and Weymouth were re-timed while it repaired the electrical supply system. That notice was no longer on the page on 16 October. Check a journey planner before travelling from Weymouth, Dorchester South, Wareham or the stations between.

The autumn timetable runs from 20 September to 12 December, with trains leaving one to five minutes earlier than in the May timetable.

The chain ferry: out of service from 2 November

The Sandbanks to Shell Bay chain ferry is the short way between Poole and the Isle of Purbeck. The operator announced on 21 September that its last day of service before the refit is Sunday 1 November 2026, with the final sailing leaving Shell Bay at 11.10pm. It will then be out of service for about seven weeks, with the return date to be announced in December. Our full story is here.

We could not check the ferry’s live status on 6 October, because the operator’s website does not load for us. Check sandbanksferry.co.uk before you set off.

Since 1 July 2026 vehicles cannot pay at the barrier. Tolls are paid online or through the operator’s app. Tolls set on 1 April 2026 are £1.18 for a motorbike, £6.26 for a car or van and £12.52 for a goods vehicle or bus.

Weymouth park and ride

Weymouth’s Mount Pleasant Park & Ride, just off the A354 on Mercery Road (DT3 5HJ), is the sensible way into the town while the seafront works run. Parking is free, provided by Dorset Council, and you pay only for the bus.

First Bus Service 2 runs seven days a week. The summer boost ended on 20 September: First Bus has confirmed that the service now runs every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 20 minutes on Sundays and public holidays. A ticket is £6.50 for up to two adults and three children into the town centre.

The routes that always catch people out

• The A31 between Bere Regis and the A350. The main road from Dorchester to the M27, shut at night on and off since 5 October. The diversion is the A35 and the A350.
• The A35 through Chideock and Morcombelake. Two villages the trunk road runs straight through, now with average speed cameras. Allow more time than the map suggests, in both directions, all year.
• The A354 into Weymouth. One road carries the seafront, the port, Portland and the park and ride. With Dorchester Road closed in Radipole until Christmas, more traffic will be on it.
• The A3066 at Beaminster. Temporary lights at the tunnel until 2 November, on a road with no realistic alternative.
• The B3157 coast road between Weymouth and Bridport. Beautiful, and the standard diversion when the A35 shuts.
• Corfe Castle on fine weekends. The Purbeck road through the village is narrow and the castle car park fills early. The Swanage Railway between Norden and Swanage exists partly to take cars off it. Expect it to be busier than usual on the Flying Scotsman days in half term, and once the chain ferry stops for its refit in November.

Frequently asked questions

Is the A31 closed in Dorset?

At night, this weekend. The National Highways report of 26 October lists Roundhouse to Lake Gates, past Wimborne, closed 9pm to 6am on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November. The West Moors slip roads close on the nights of 29 October (eastbound) and 30 October (westbound). No more Bere Regis to Roundhouse nights are listed after 23 October. The road is open in the daytime.

Is the A35 closed in Dorset this week?

No A35 closure in Dorset is listed in the National Highways report up to 29 October. The last listed were night works at Miles Cross, west of Bridport, on 6 and 7 October, for roundabout construction. The X51, X53 and A3 buses are still diverted there.

Why is Dorchester Road in Weymouth closing?

Dorset Council has made an order closing Dorchester Road between Milton Terrace and Monmouth Avenue from 19 October to Christmas, so SGN can replace gas mains. First Bus dates its diversion for services 2, 10 and X51 from 23 October. A northbound-only closure between Monmouth Avenue and Icen Road follows from 4 January to 19 March 2027. The diversion is the B3155, A353, A354 and B3159.

Why is Kings Road in Dorchester closed?

Dorset Council has made an order closing Kings Road between Icen Way and the B3144, and all of Athelstan Road, from 21 September, so Wessex Water can lay a new sewer connection. The council’s notice anticipates the works will be completed by 11 December 2026. Wessex Water is on 0345 600 4600.

Why are there traffic lights at Beaminster?

Dorset Council’s live travel updates list temporary traffic lights on the A3066 Tunnel Road both ways near Beaminster Tunnel, for emergency repairs and roadworks, until 2 November. The alert is graded severe and was last updated on 10 September.

Is Weymouth Esplanade still closed at night?

No. The overnight resurfacing closures ran until 17 October 2026. The council’s night crews then moved to the Wessex Stadium roundabout, closed 8pm to 6am from 19 to 23 October, according to Dorset Council’s live programme.

Are trains running from Weymouth to London this weekend?

Not all the way. On Saturday 31 October London trains stop at Brockenhurst, and on Sunday 1 November they stop at Eastleigh. Each day a revised service runs between Weymouth, Poole and Bournemouth, and buses link Bournemouth with the trains to London Waterloo.

When are the Sherborne roadworks?

Work started on Tuesday 13 October at the A352 Ottery Lane and Westbury junction, with temporary traffic signals. A council notice and the project page give overnight closures for resurfacing between 26 and 31 October, 8pm to 6am; the council’s updated news release says early November. Signs on site give the exact nights.

When does the Sandbanks ferry stop for its refit?

The last day of service is Sunday 1 November 2026, with the final sailing leaving Shell Bay at 11.10pm, the operator announced on 21 September. The refit is planned to take about seven weeks, and the return date will be announced in December.

How much is the Sandbanks ferry in 2026?

£6.26 for a car or van, £1.18 for a motorbike and £12.52 for a goods vehicle or bus, as set on 1 April 2026. Since 1 July 2026 vehicle tolls must be paid online or by app rather than at the barrier.

Are the trains to London affected?

From Gillingham (Dorset) and Sherborne, yes. South Western Railway is running a reduced West of England service because of speed restrictions, with one train an hour to Yeovil Junction and one every two hours onward to Exeter. On the Weymouth line, no trains run between Bournemouth and Southampton on 24 and 25 October, Weymouth trains terminate at Brockenhurst on 31 October, and at Eastleigh on 1 November.

Are there speed cameras on the A35 in Dorset?

Yes. National Highways’ Charmouth to Yellowham scheme installs average speed cameras in Winterbourne Abbas, Morcombelake and Chideock, alongside new 30, 40 and 50mph limits along the 26-mile stretch.

Is Weymouth park and ride free?

The parking is free. The bus is £6.50 for up to two adults and three children into the town centre on First Bus Service 2 from Mount Pleasant, every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 20 minutes on Sundays.

Where can I check Dorset roadworks?

Dorset Council publishes a roadworks map and a live programme of resurfacing closures with dates. For the A35, A31 and other trunk roads, which the council does not manage, use the National Highways seven day closure report, which is a downloadable spreadsheet listing every closure by day. Dorset Highways’ traffic team can be reached on 01305 221020.

Correction, 11 October 2026: this page said the Sherborne junction works started on 5 October with night closures from 26 to 31 October. Dorset Council had postponed the start to 13 October and moved the night closures to early November. Both are now corrected.

Sources

• Dorset Council statutory notices on the Public Notice Portal dated 8 October 2026 (Sherborne night works, Motcombe, Cann, Leigh, Chetnole), 8 October 2026 (Gatemore Road, Buckland Ripers), 15 October 2026 (Dorchester Road and Wessex Stadium orders made, School Lane, Owermoigne, Minterne Magna, Lower Wraxall, Cattistock) and 15 October 2026 (Flying Scotsman orders made).
• Dorset Council: new north Dorset road now open, 14 October 2026, for Madjeston Way in Gillingham.
• National Highways statutory notice, A31 Trunk Road, Bere Regis to Roundhouse, reference NH/SE/2026/A31/73, published 24 September 2026, for the four weeks of night closures, the weekend closure and the diversion.
• National Highways seven day closure report, checked 5 October 2026 (5 to 11 October), 9 October 2026 (to 14 October), 13 October 2026 (to 19 October), 16 October 2026 (report of 15 October, to 22 October), 20 October 2026 (report of 19 October, to 26 October), 23 October 2026 (report of 22 October) and 27 October 2026 (report of 26 October, to 2 November, for the West Moors slips and the 31 October and 1 November Roundhouse to Lake Gates nights), for the A31 nights, the 16 to 19 October weekend closure, the Roundhouse to Lake Gates nights, the A35 Miles Cross works and the A31 slip roads.
• Dorset Council’s notice of 15 October 2026 for Victoria Grove and Chancery Lane in Bridport, the B3162 at North Bowood and George Street in West Bay.
• South Western Railway’s September and October works and the National Rail notices for Southampton Central, 24 and 25 October and Yeovil Junction to Honiton, 25 October, checked 20 October 2026.
• Department for Transport road traffic statistics, count point 46347 for the 2024 daily traffic on the A31 between the A35 and the A350.
• Dorset Council live programme of road works for every resurfacing and micro surfacing closure and its dates, checked 6 October 2026.
• Dorset Council live travel updates for the A3066 Beaminster traffic lights to 2 November, the South Western Railway alert and the council’s own warning about its alert feed, checked 6 October 2026.
• Dorset Council statutory notices on the Public Notice Portal, dated 1 October 2026: the Weymouth, Portland and Bradford Peverell bundle (Dorchester Road, Wessex Stadium roundabout, Marsh Road, Portland surfacing, School Lane); the utility works bundle (West Milton, Colway Lane, Chancery Lane, B3162 North Bowood); Shillingstone and Hinton St Mary; Tarrant Gunville and the disabled bay revocations; and the Flying Scotsman measures at Harmans Cross and Swanage.
• Dorset Council news releases: A37 improvements near Dorchester and Dinah’s Hollow, both 2 October 2026; Chesil Cove coastal defences, 28 September 2026.
• Dorset Council statutory notices on the Public Notice Portal, dated 24 September 2026: the Abbotsbury, West Bexington, Winfrith and Litton Cheney bundle; the Bridport, South Perrott, Thorncombe, Lyme Regis and Bradpole bundle; the Verwood, Blandford, Morden and Lytchett Matravers bundle; the Swanage and B3069 bundle; Chetnole; and Buckland Ripers.
• Earlier Dorset Council notices: the 3 September bundle for the Weymouth Esplanade night order, and the 17 September bundles for Kings Road and Athelstan Road, Dorchester, West Milton and Colway Lane, Lyme Regis, Marsh Road, Weymouth and Holway, Sandford Orcas.
• Dorset Council: junction improvements in Sherborne start Tuesday 13 October, 24 September 2026, updated with the new start date, and the project page.
• Dorset Council: public realm and drainage improvements for Fairfield Road, Dorchester, 17 September 2026, for the nine-week closure of the pedestrianised section.
• Dorset Council: Abbotsbury Road and Chickerell Road junction improvements for the 7 September start, the 27 November completion date and the 23 to 27 November closure.
• South Western Railway: West of England changes for the reduced West of England service, the extra journey times, the 23 October planner horizon and the Brockenhurst to Weymouth re-timing, checked 6 October 2026.
• First Bus service updates for the Miles Cross diversion and the Esplanade night diversion, checked 6 October 2026.
• First Bus: 2, 10 and X51, Dorchester Road (Phase 1), 12 October 2026, and Dorchester Road Closure, 2 October 2026, for the Weymouth diversions, unserved stops and the Christmas break.
• First Bus: Weymouth Park and Ride improvements for the Service 2 frequencies from 20 September.
• Charmouth Parish Council: update to A35 roadworks, July 2026 for the Connect and Balfour Beatty renewals programme and the planned 30 September handback.
• National Highways: work to improve safety on the A35 in Dorset for the speed reduction scheme, the collision figures and the camera locations.
• The Sandbanks Ferry: refit date for 2026, announced 21 September 2026, for the 1 November last day, the seven week period and the December return announcement. Tolls as confirmed on the operator’s site earlier this year.

Next: Dorset train times to London if you would rather not drive at all, and things to do in Dorset for where all this traffic is heading.

Dates and prices were correct when checked on 20 October 2026. Roadworks move. Always confirm with the council or National Highways before travelling.