A303 project completion delayed
Highways England is the body tasked with delivering improvements to the A303 between the Sparkford and Hazelgrove roundabouts. The new scheme will alter the line of the A303 and turn it from a single carriage road into a new dual carriageway.
The work was scheduled to be completed by March 2024. A spokesperson for National Highways pointed out that the project had been hit by inclement weather. They noted that we’ve had: “the wettest July on record (this summer) which caused widespread flooding in the area and long periods of bad weather in November and March 2023.”
All of which has pushed back the estimated completion date. In fact at present Highways England are unable to commit to a specific target date. All they can say for now is that completion “will now be moving to Winter 2024/2025.”
Which taken literally could mean any date up to around the 21 March 2025. Which would make it anything up to a year behind schedule.
Siân Hopkins, Senior Project Manager for National Highways added: “Unfortunately, the scheme has been delayed, not only due to significant periods of bad weather, but also the discovery of protected species on the site. This has caused delays in site clearance, earthworks and other activities, over the past two years.“
Protected species?
Hope it’s your mistake and not Highways England’s, but Sparkford and Hazelgrove roundabouts are one and the same. The dualling is between Podimore and Sparkford roundabouts.