London to South West drivers warned: A303 near Mere in Wiltshire - closure for major roadworks
HIGHWAYS AGENCY News Release issued by COI News Distribution Service on 09 February 2010
The Highways Agency will be carrying out essential maintenance and improvement works on the A303 near Mere in Wiltshire, requiring the road to be closed for five weeks, starting on Monday 15 February.
The work, which has been planned to avoid the main holiday periods, will ensure the ongoing safety of the A303 and will include resurfacing, the installation of safety barriers and the enhancement of surface water drainage. At the same time, the Agency is renewing signs, painting road markings and installing cats eyes.
Highways Agency project manager Dave Frampton said:
"This work is essential to keep road users on the A303 safe. Our surveys show that the road is beginning to suffer from severe cracking and rutting. It is also clear that the drainage system needs extensive repairs or replacement.
"We have carefully planned this work to reduce the length of time that the route has to be closed and to minimise the impact on road users."
Diversions will be clearly sign posted and have been designed to keep diversions to a minimum.
Notes to Editors
1. The Highways Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Transport. We manage, maintain and improve England's motorways and major A roads on behalf of the Secretary of State. 2. During closures the following diversion will be in place. Diversions will add 12.5 miles to the eastbound journey and 5.5 miles to the westbound journey: 3. Westbound traffic will follow the A350 to Shaftesbury and then along the B3081 to rejoin the A303 near Wincanton. Eastbound traffic will be diverted from the A303 at Podimore roundabout and follow the A37, A361 and A36 via Shepton Mallet and Frome before rejoining the A303 at Deptford. Separation of the diversion routes has been chosen to reduce the effects of the additional traffic on the alternative routes. 6. The information is also available on the Highways Agency website: (www.highways.gov.uk). Copies are available by calling 0870 1226 236 quoting PR248/07. 7. Real-time traffic information for England's motorways and major A roads is now available: * From our new Traffic Radio service, available on DAB digital radio and the internet at www.trafficradio.org.uk. To tune into the DAB service, simply press the "scan" button on your radio. The radio will tune into all available channels and you can select the new service by scrolling through the channels until you reach "Traffic Radio".* On the internet at www.highways.gov.uk/trafficinfo* By phone from the Highways Agency 24-hour voice activated phone service on 08700 660 115. (Calls from BT landlines to 0870 numbers will cost no more than 8p per minute; mobile calls usually cost more). Before using a mobile, find a safe place to park. Never stop on the hard shoulder of a motorway except in an emergency. Make sure it's safe and legal before you call. 8. For more general information about the Highways Agency and its work, visit the Highways Agency website www.highways.gov.uk, or telephone the Highways Agency Information Line on 08457 50 40 30 at any time. (Calls to 0845 numbers cost no more than 3p/min from BT residential landlines. Call charges from other landlines and mobile networks may vary.)
Contacts:
Peter O'Connor
Phone: 01306 878110
Mobile: 07876 577687
peter.o'connor@highways.gsi.gov.uk
Rachel Whitelock.
Mobile: 07770 544608
rachel.whitelock@highways.gsi.gov.uk
