THE A338 between Ashley Heath and Blackwater Junction is going to be the subject of a big clean this month, ahead of its reconstruction later this year.

Preparation work is planned for January and February including clearing fencing, hedgerows and fly-tipped rubbish. Dorset County Council said it would be able to confirm details of any necessary highway restrictions later this week.

The work will see the removal of more than four miles of old reptile fence, which will be done by hand, while a 10.5-mile stretch of verge will be cleared to a height of 10cm, from the edge of the road to 6m back.

The work has to be done in January as the council has a legal obligation to ensure the work is carried out outside of the bird nesting season.

Natural England will montor the work to ensure birds and reptiles are protected.

A council spokesperson said the aim was to get all the preparation work done in advance so the rebuild can begin in earnest in September.

The £22m project, funded by the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership, will reconstruct the five-and-a-half mile stretch of road between the Ashley Heath roundabout and the Blackwater Junction.

It will also include the replacement and upgrading of the safety barrier, improving failed drainage to solve flood problems, bringing the carriageway width up to current standards, the renewal of road signs and maintenance work to the bridges.

The Spur Road, which was constructed in the late 1960s, had a lifespan of 40 years and the road surface is now crumbling at certain points.