MOTORISTS are set to suffer four weeks of traffic misery after faulty materials had to be sent back.

The southern footway on Redbridge Causeway has been deemed unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists and a lane closure has been put in place.

The walls were deemed unfit for use and now residents are facing delays of up to 90 minutes while the council waits for replacements.

Yesterday, queues of traffic tailed as far back as Main Road and Hunters Hill, Totton, with some motorists stuck in their vehicles for over an hour due to the works.

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Bus routes were also affected with the Bluestar 9 and 8 services experiencing delays of 90 minutes.

Some services were cancelled due to the congestion.

Motorists were urged to avoid the area where possible as delays continued throughout the day.

Delays are expected to continue while the lane closure is in place.

One lane of the road is closed to allow access to Test Lane and under the flyover.

The work is being carried out by Hampshire County Council (HCC) and the lane closure is expected to be lifted on February 17.

READ MORE: Hour-long delays due to roadworks on Redbridge Causeway

The council has warned that due to "major works" on the A35, routes in the area might be restricted until July 14.

It added that the work is being carried out as the southern footway is not safe for pedestrians and cyclists.

Furthermore, there has been a delay in completing the parapet upgrade as batches of the new panels have had to be returned to the manufacturer.

This is because they have not met the required quality standard.

This means the panels that have already been installed need to be removed and returned for further assessment.

HCC said it is trying to "resolve this matter as quickly as possible".

Until replacement panels are delivered, it is not safe for pedestrians and cyclists to use the southern footway.

Traffic was made worse yesterday due to a river bursting its banks.

Bartley Water in the New Forest flooded roads in Ashurst putting further strain on traffic in the area.

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