TWO sets of major roadworks are set to cause weeks of traffic chaos in Wellington during the summer and autumn and could even impact on the town’s annual carnival procession.

Somerset Council is planning to carry out resurfacing, surface treatment, and drainage schemes from Wellington medical Centre, in Mantle Street, through Hilly Head and Rockwell Green as far as the Dobree Park estate.

Worries about the extent of disruption to local traffic resulted in an urgent meeting being arranged this week between town councillors and county highways staff to look at any ideas for reducing the impact.

County assistant highway service manager Gwyn Hughes said: “We must look at these two schemes as forming part of an extensive programme of works across the entire county of Somerset.

“To deliver these schemes, we bring in specialist gangs and a programme of works has been planned to ensure we get the most out of them for a limited period they are in the county. 

“We hope by undertaking these larger schemes during the summer and early autumn months we will lessen any delays caused by weather-related issues.”

The ‘structural maintenance’ roadworks will be split into two phases, with the first starting on Monday, August 7, and continuing until Wednesday, August 23.

From August 7 to 18 a half-a-mile stretch of main road from the medical centre to a point between Rockwell Green Post Office and Popes Lane will be under two-way traffic lights daily between 9.30 am and 3 pm while highways crews carry out preparatory work including verge ploughing, replacement of broken kerbs, resetting gully lids, and drainage jetting.

Then, from August 17 to 23 the main resurfacing work will be carried out with the road completely closed between 8 am and 5 pm daily.

Mr Hughes said no work would take place during the weekend, when the road will be reopened.

He said the scheme was originally going to stretch from Mantle Street’s junction with Champford Mews through to Bagley Road in Rockwell Green.

However, there were outstanding drainage schemes which meant he scope of the plan had to be reduced.

Mr Hughes said there were drainage issues between Champford Lane and the medical centre which required liaison with Wessex Water, while drainage work at the Bagley Road end would form the second of the two phases.

He said it meant that Rockwell Green’s Popes Lane crossroads would not be covered in this year’s resurfacing programme.

Mr Hughes said the resurfacing could only be carried out during school holidays because of the need for access to Court Fields School.

Evening and night work was not appropriate because it was a mainly residential area, which left the only option of day working during the week.

Mr Hughes said a number of businesses would be affected by the road closure, including the medical centre, which had been taken into consideration.

Because the medical centre entrance was at the very end on the Wellington side of the closure it would be possible to keep access open for ‘most of the time’ and only close for short periods when work was actually taking place.

Mr Hughes said he would share with the centre a detailed works programme showing when the entrance would be closed.

“We hope to re-open sections of the road as work progresses and access through the site will be permitted during the evening time,” he said.

Although the council did not routinely contact all residents along affected roads, a letter drop was being arranged to inform them of the closure details.

The second phase of the work will involve replacement of highway drainage along 246 yards of Exeter Road between Dobree Park and Popes Lane crossroads.

This was due to start on Monday, September 11, and take 20 days through to Friday, October 6, and would mean a complete road closure.

Mr Hughes said: “We are aware that Wellington Carnival is scheduled to take place on September 30 and we will ensure that the road is fully reopened without restrictions for this event.

“We have still to fully discuss the traffic management implications of this scheme with our contractors and a meeting with them and our street works teams will be organised where we will discuss weekend opening and alternative dates.”

Mr Hughes said councillors would be aware there had been major highway flooding issues along Exeter Road in February, 2022, when water surged from highway gullies near Bagley Road and caused icing hazards and damage to the road surface.

He said the problem was resolved but it highlighted the drainage system from the junction of Dobree Park to Popes Lane crossroads had completely failed due to tree roots and previous utility works.

“We did try to recover the system through jetting and root cutting, but a CCTV survey confirmed our suspicions that the system was beyond repair,” he said.

“As this section of highway requires resurfacing, we knew we had to install a new drainage system before undertaking the resurfacing.

“Due to the amount of utility services along the verge, this new drainage system has to be installed in the carriageway, making the scheme more complicated and longer to complete.

“As the scheme includes cross-drains, the entire road needs to be closed off to allow safe working.

“Again, we appreciate the closure of Exeter Road, which is the main access route into Wellington from Devon, will cause local disruption.

“We have confined the extent of the scheme to allow access to Dobree Park, Popes Lane, and Rockwell Green Road.

“Due to other major schemes, the earliest we can consider undertaking this scheme this financial year is mid-September and we would rather contemplate these works before winter with the increased risk of consequent weather delays.

“The completion of this scheme is key to allowing us to conclude the resurfacing of Popes Lane crossroads and Exeter Road up to Dobree Park, with any delays resulting in a delay to this resurfacing, which is very much needed.”