COMMUTERS were delayed by up to an hour this morning when a major road into Winchester was closed.

Work widening a railway bridge shut St Cross Road and left traffic tailing back onto the northbound M3 at junction 11.

Workers returning to the office after the Christmas break faced long delays as vehicles crawled their way along Badger Farm and Romsey roads.

But cars flowed more freely along Bar End Road – the other key route into the city from the M3.

The Bell Inn pub and The Frying Fish have predicted the closure will bring a fall in trade and could threaten the future of their businesses.

The road will be closed until March 31 between the Bushfield roundabout and Mead Road.

A similar three-month closure in Andover Road will take place from April until July.