CONSTRUCTION has started on a new section of dual carriageway on the A303 to increase the capacity of the road, reduce journey times and make the road safer.
Representatives of National Highways and local politicians have described the work as "vital" and a "huge red-letter day" for the south west.
The £135 million project will dual around three miles of existing single carriageway between Sparkford and Ilchester.
The project is being managed by National Highways and funded by the Department for Transport as part of the Road Investment Strategy.
National Highways says the upgrade, scheduled to open to traffic in 2024, will tackle a long-standing ‘bottleneck’ and boost jobs and housing in the region by improving the corridor between the south east and the south west.
On average, the A303 between Sparkford and Ilchester carries 23,500 vehicles per day, but numbers increase significantly in the summer, particularly at weekends.
The start of the project was marked today by a turf-cutting ceremony, attended by representatives of National Highways, construction company Galliford Try, and local politicians.
Hannah Sanderson, programme manager for National Highways, told the County Gazette: “It's really important. We're obviously really excited about it.
“The point of the scheme is to provide a high-quality dual carriageway. It’s vital to the economic growth of the south west and will create a link between London and the south east to the south west.
“We’ve started on site in earnest, and we’re building temporary roads on-site so we can transport materials without using local roads, and we’re starting the foundations for our bridges.”
Speaking about road safety, she said: “It will create two lines in both directions, which will allow traffic to enter the carriageway without impeding traffic flow, which will make journeys more reliable and safer.
“With the improved traffic flow, we’re expecting it to reduce journey times in that section on average by around two minutes.”
Marcus Fysh MP, who represents Yeovil, said: “It’s just wonderful that we are finally getting it done, and it really is a core part of our levelling-up agenda for the south west.
“It’s about jobs, prosperity, the safety of the road users, and it’s really fantastic to see it finally happening.
“It’s been tragic how many lives have been lost on this road over the years, and this and the Ilminster bypass, and Stonehenge before – these were real hotspots for that kind of thing.
"Too many lives have been lost, and what we do know is that a dual carriageway makes that a lot safer.”
David Warburton MP, who represents Somerton and Frome, said: “We have actually been waiting more than 40 years for this, so this is a huge red-letter day for the whole of the south west.
“It’s not just about reducing congestion, it’s about the whole perception of how the south west feels.
"People think it’s hard to get here and that prevents people coming, it prevents business growth, business investment, housing development and so much more.
“This is a way to unlock the south west and it’s been a long time coming.
“Safety was the key driver for the whole thing, I think, because there are so many accidents, particularly in the stretches where it goes from a dual carriageway to a single carriageway, and the number of fatalities are frightening.
“This will reduce driver stress, and it will clear the road for everybody and make the whole south west more accessible.”
National Highways started to develop the scheme in 2015 and held consultations in 2017 and 2018.
In January 2021, transport secretary Grant Shapps MP granted permission for the scheme.
Current work is focused on preparing the ground for construction with traffic management not planned until early next year.
The main construction work will get underway in 2022, which will see some road closures that National Highways say will be kept to a minimum.
A text alert system will be launching next year to keep motorists updated.
To find out more about the scheme and the construction process, visit https://highwaysengland.co.uk/our-work/south-west/a303-sparkford-to-ilchester/.
Read more: Work on A303 Sparkford-Ilchester scheme is underway
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