Full details of three month A360 closure revealed
National Highways will shut the route from The Avenue to Longbarrow
Full details have been revealed into a three month closure of the A360 through South Wiltshire - from straight after the Easter weekend.
National Highways will be shutting the route from The Avenue roundabout, all the way to the Longbarrow junction with the A303.
It's to allow for 'essential work' to supply electricity for the A303 Stonehenge tunnel project and its construction.
The road closure and power work is going ahead following the High Court's dismissal of a judicial review into the scheme - but while an appeal is still being lodged by campaigners against the plans.
What's happening?
SSEN will be installing high voltage and fibre optic cabling which requires a full closure for safety reasons, due to the narrow width of the road and minimal space along the verges.
Work is due to take place seven days a week, including overnight, to make sure the underground cabling work's completed before the school summer holidays.
National Highways say a three month full closure is a more preferable option than more than a year of work using single lane closures and temporary traffic lights.
A diversion route will be in place for the duration of the works, taking drivers along the A345, A303 and A36 - although shorter local routes could cut the journey time.
Signage is also being developed to inform road users around Salisbury, and as far away as Devizes and Shaftesbury, to point traffic to alternate routes.
National Highways and Wiltshire Council are putting measures in place to 'protect local roads and communities', including implementing weight restrictions on roads, including through the Woodfords.
Provision will be made for emergency services access and access for local landowners, residents and businesses affected by the closures, and arrangements will be discussed with residents alongside and close to the A360.
David Bullock, National Highways’ Project Director for the A303 Stonehenge scheme, said:
“The road scheme will ultimately tackle the longstanding issue of rat running and provide a real benefit to local communities, and for this essential preliminary work, we’ll be doing all we can to put in measures to lessen the impact of this work.
“We need to carry out the work now to ensure our programme timescales and we want to give local communities as much notice as possible.
“We appreciate that roadworks and road closures can be frustrating and we’d like to thank motorists, local residents and businesses in advance for their patience.
“We have deliberately avoided the summer holiday season, but we appreciate the work will impact the Whitsun Week traffic and the Summer Solstice, and we’ll be working hard to minimise disruption during those times and where we can.
“Without the full closure, the work would take a lot longer to complete, and we’re making every effort to ensure that the impact on drivers and local communities is kept to an absolute minimum.
“Given the delays of the recent legal process, we are having to move quickly but we have been working closely with our local authority partners, and we want to give as much notice as possible to residents, businesses and other interested parties.
“We will also ensure, along with our Wiltshire Council partners, that all traffic management measures and any changes are communicated well in advance.”
Cllr Caroline Thomas, Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Transport, said:
“Although the A360 is part of our highways network, this work is being carried out by National Highways and SSEN in preparation for the A303 improvement project.
“We know that this closure will affect many Wiltshire residents and visitors, and so our officers have been working closely with partner agencies to ensure any disruption is kept to a minimum.
“National Highways will be installing diversion and warning signage in a wide area, from north Dorset to west and south Wiltshire, to ensure as many motorists as possible have an early warning to avoid the closure once the work starts.”
Archaeological fieldwork and preliminary works for the A303 Stonehenge project are also being planned by National Highways through the spring and early summer.