THE planned three-month closure of a section of the A360, which will see the road shut 24 hours a day, seven days a week, will be “a nightmare”, a business leader has claimed.
As part of the A303 Stonehenge tunnel project, the road will shut from September to December between The Avenue and Longbarrow junction on the A303.
Highways England says this is to facilitate the supply of electricity for the future construction of the £1.7bn tunnel, which was given the green light last year.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) will be installing high voltage and fibre optic cabling along the route, and this requires a full closure for “safety reasons”, due to the narrow width of the road and minimal space along the verges.
Andy Rhind-Tutt, President of Salisbury and District Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the plans will be “ringing lots of alarm bells, for businesses, locals and visitors”, and will create further traffic gridlocks.
He added: “Whilst I appreciate that the SSEN infrastructure needs upgrading to enable the proposed Stonehenge tunnel to be constructed, it is somewhat curious as to why the route for the cabling cannot be taken off the highway and into the adjoining field boundaries.
"This would not only mean the road could stay open, but also provide ease of maintenance and take into consideration any potential widening improvements that may be required in the future if the Salisbury bypass is reconsidered."
Andy says he has asked Highways England to investigate this with SSEN.
'Alarming scheme'
He added: I cannot help but wonder if this approach which involves obtaining landowners permissions and wayleaves may have sadly succumbed to a “last minute” rush of orders.
“Either way this alarming three month scheme will involve joint utilities, major excavations in archaeologically important landscapes and will need to be consulted and managed carefully.
“To appreciate the full impact it would be most helpful for the plans to be published.”
During the closure, traffic will be diverted via the A345 and sections of the A303 and A36, and a comprehensive signage system is being developed to inform motorists around Salisbury and as far away as Devizes and Shaftesbury to point traffic to alternative routes.
Highways England will be holding a virtual public information event on Tuesday June 29.
Residents and businesses will be able to submit questions and hear from the team in a live online Q&A session to find out more about the plans for the project, including works on the A360.
The event will start online at 7pm and a link to sign up will be made available on the scheme website.
To read what Highways England and Wiltshire Council said about the project, click here.
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