Asbestos delays Bruton roadworks
Last month Somerset Council announced an extended scheme of roadworks for Bruton. You can read about the original plans here: https://leveller.live/2023/07/11/bruton-roadworks-over-holiday-season/
Unfortunately on the first day of the planned works, workmen found asbestos. The asbestos was discovered underneath a traffic island on High Street. Later that same week a sinkhole formed in a separate part of High Street.
As a result the roadworks were suspended so Coombe Street could be reopened. That was to ease pressure on the road network while High Street was closed. At the same time the asbestos was removed and disposed of successfully.
That did not prove to be the end of the problems though. Some of the utility pipes and fittings below the road were found to be nearer the surface than expected. The team have also discovered a historic drainage system under the road.
Efforts are being made to keep this old infrastructure intact. Work is going on to conserve it in partnership with South West Heritage.
Councillor Mike Rigby, Somerset Council’s Executive Lead Member for Transport and Digital said: “Firstly, thank you to everyone in and around Bruton for their patience and co-operation. We appreciate this has been challenging for all concerned. These works have not been easy to deliver for a variety of reasons, but the team is working as swiftly and as safely as they can to get everything done, and to bring disruption to traffic in Bruton to an end.”
A revised programme will now see Coombe Street closed as part of a small improvements scheme until Friday 18 August under a 24/7 closure. The scheme will then move to High Street on Sunday 20 August, and the road will remain shut between the hours of 9:30am and 5pm until Friday 1 September.
A planned resurfacing scheme on Patwell Street will be undertaken between 6pm and 11:30pm excluding weekends, running from Thursday 24 August to Wednesday 30 August.