TWO organisations are blaming each other for the decision to close the A36 while major roadworks were already clogging up the M27.

The Highways Agency says it's gas pipeline company Transco's fault. Transco claims the Highways Agency is responsible.

A combination of three sets of major roadworks in and around Southampton have led to months of misery for motorists.

The M27 is still undergoing seven months of repairs, set to finish four weeks late at the end of June because of drainage problems.

Southampton City Council has been resurfacing The Avenue, closing lanes heading into the city.

And the A36 near Plaitford was completely closed for several weeks so the road could be repaired and a gas main laid at a cost of £1m.

Asked why it had been necessary to do the M27 and A36 work at the same time - piling on motoring misery in spades - a Highways Agency spokesman said they could have delayed the project, but for the gas giant.

"The real driver for the A36 was Transco putting in a new pipeline which they couldn't delay," he said.

"They had Health and Safety reasons for doing this. They had an imperative to do the work for safety reasons."

Not, however, according to Transco.

Their spokesman said: "We were not the driving force behind that. If memory serves we were contacted by the Highways Agency who said they were resurfacing and did we have any work to do."