'Biggest investment in our road network for a generation' close to starting on A303
Initial work begins next month on a three-mile stretch of the A303 in Somerset and it's been confirmed there'll be no road closures until March 2022.
Motorists, businesses and residents are being invited to find out more about plans - for between Sparkford and Ilchester - at a virtual exhibition next week.
Construction compounds and fencing will start to be put up in August, before works starts properly in September - although there'll be no road closures until next March.
Hannah Sanderson, Programme Manager for Highways England, said: “The scheme is incredibly important for Somerset’s future, vital to the A303 / A358 corridor, and is part of the biggest investment in our road network for a generation alongside the A303 Stonehenge tunnel project.
“From a project perspective, it’s exciting that we are now close to works starting in September, with the scheme supporting economic growth and facilitating a growth in jobs and housing by creating a free-flowing and reliable connection between the south east and south west.
“It will also tackle a long-standing bottleneck, reduce journey times to the south-west and improve traffic flows in that area at peak times and during peak seasons.
“While closures will be kept to a minimum, I’m sure local residents will have questions around the latest plans and traffic management, so we encourage everyone to join the virtual exhibition.”
The virtual exhibition will run from midday to 8pm on Thursday 22 July and Friday 23 July, where people will be able to post questions on a live chat.
To access the virtual exhibition, a link will be available from Thursday 22 July here
Anyone unable to log in on the day can leave a comment on the exhibition or contact us by emailing A303SparkfordtoIlchesterDualling@highwaysengland.co.uk or calling 0300 123 5000.
The exhibition will remain live and be regularly updated throughout the scheme build.