Section of A30 to close for retaining wall replacement work

A new supporting wall will be built by a Somerset County Council contractor to replace an existing structure next to the A30 at Haselbury Plucknett, South Somerset.

The work will be carried out in the interest of motorists' safety, as the retaining wall currently in place is deteriorating and could become a serious road hazard.

Work will start on February 7, and there will be various phases of traffic management in place across a 13-week period. 

The first phase will see the closure of the A30 for around three weeks to enable the safe operation of heavy machinery and cranes. 

The road will be closed north of the A3066/A30 junction at Haselbury Plucknett.

Drivers will be diverted towards the A303 from both Yeovil and Crewkerne on signposted routes. 

The A30 will re-open once the first phase of work is complete but with a single lane running under three-way traffic control.

This will allow traffic from the A3066 (North Street) to safely enter the A30.

Councillor John Woodman, Somerset County Council’s cabinet member for highways, said: “It is critical that the wall is sorted now so that the busy A30 remains safe for the travelling public.

“Unfortunately, this means that the road needs to be closed while work is carried out, but the team has tried to keep this to the minimum amount of time possible and to plan it so it doesn’t affect the holiday season.”

URGENT: A Somerset County Council spokesperson said "it is critical that the wall is sorted now"

Access to households and businesses in the area will be maintained and the council says a team will work closely with people affected by the scheme.

Deliveries and access will be accommodated by liaison with on-site operational staff.

Pedestrian access will be maintained, and the council says every effort will be made to keep the duration of the work to a minimum.

More information will be available on the Travel Somerset website, Facebook page, and Twitter.