A39, Bath Road to Main Street, Walton, Somerset:
Night working 21 November 2022 – 2 December 2022 6.30pm-7.30am under full road closure
Dear local member/stakeholder,
This briefing is to inform you of some key resurfacing works which we are planning to deliver as part of our busy maintenance schedule next month.
In order to minimise disruption the work will be carried out at night time under a full road closure.
Background
Somerset County Council, as the Highway Authority, has a statutory duty to maintain the roads in Somerset, except for the motorway and trunk roads. There is over 4,000 miles of highway network in total, all of which require some form of maintenance at some time in its life.
The A39, Bath Road to Main Street is showing signs of failure. There are numerous cracks in the road and settlement across the carriageway width.
This location has been subject to many visits to undertake repairs in the past, clearly this is unsustainable and larger scale works need to be carried out.
Proposed works
The proposed maintenance works will include minor works to the existing drainage systems, siding back of verges, where they are encroaching onto the carriageway and cutting back of selected areas of vegetation. The whole length of road from 20m west of the junction with Bramble Hill, westwards to the Pipers Inn will be resurfaced. (see plan on the last page of this Information Sheet).
The Resurfacing will take place over two weeks (21 November – 2 December) – it will be necessary to fully close the road between 6.30pm and 7.30am during Monday-Friday. The Road will be open to traffic at the weekend and daytimes. An alternative route will be signed (plan of alternative route attached).
We will of course maintain access to any households and businesses within the closure and will work closely with those affected by the works by liaison with on-site operational staff. Every effort will be made to keep the duration of the works to a minimum.
Works Programme.
Any changes to the works programme will be displayed on site information boards.
Questions and answers…
Why is the road closed for the resurfacing?
Put simply, the road is just too narrow to allow us to keep it open during the surfacing works. We must comply with the National Code of Practice for road works. We would be breaking the law if we ignored this and clearly it would not be safe for either the travelling public or the workforce.
Will the road be open during the daytime?
It’s our intention to open the road during the daytime, but the use of temporary traffic signals may be required.
Why have you chosen those dates?
There is no perfect time to carry out major works like this, but we have tried to avoid key dates and local events for example the carnival season. We accept that it will still have an impact on the travelling public, which is why we are giving advance notification of the works.
More information
We recognise this will inevitably have a big impact on the community and we will do our very best to keep the community and the travelling public updated.
Roads locally which are unsuitable for diverted traffic will be signed during the closure period. Also advance signing will be put in place at appropriate locations warning of the closure to minimise excessive use of minor roads. In the meantime, if you have any questions, queries or observations on the works, please use the contact details below:
Call 0300 123 2224 or
Email [email protected]
Extent of Works and Diversion Route
