MAJOR traffic disruption is likely on the A38 road between Wellington and Taunton until late September as a number of planned roadworks schemes run into each other.

The disruption will start sooner than anticipated after a sewer was found to have collapsed close to the Heatherton Grange crossroads, requiring emergency repair work starting on July 30 and running through to Saturday, August 8.

The sewer repair will involve digging up the A38 and will also see closures of Bradford Road leading to Bradford on Tone and Silver Street, which leads to West Buckland.

Two-way temporary traffic lights will be in use 24 hours a day while the emergency sewer repair work is carried out.

Somerset Council is then planning to start a drainage project on the other side of the crossroads on Monday, August 10, which is scheduled to last until August 21.

The drainage scheme will move into both Bradford Road and Silver Street with road closures required until as late as September 18.

A council spokesperson said: “This is about improving drainage to increase road safety for road users.

“We do our utmost to minimise disruption where possible.”

Wessex Water said its traffic lights would be manually controlled between 7 am and 6.30 pm daily to manage any ‘tidal traffic flows’.

The council said it recognised the A38 was a bus route and therefore public transport in this area would be affected.

The council spokesperson said it was appreciated that ‘exceptionally short notice’ was being given of the disruption.

However, they said it was ‘vital that this is repaired as soon as possible’ due to the potential issues which could arise from the collapsed sewer, such as sinkholes and flooding.

The spokesperson said anybody who had concerns about the work should contact Wessex Water on 0345 600 4 600.