A BUSY Salisbury road is closing for up to three nights next week for “essential maintenance work”.
Wiltshire Council will close the Harnham Gyratory from Saturday, April 13, between 9pm and 6am each night.
The work will improve the surface of the route – one of the city’s busiest.
Access for emergency vehicles will be granted through the closure at all times, the council said.
The closure will affect inbound and outbound traffic to and from the south of the city, including the A3094, A338, and A354 routes, and so the council will implement two diversion routes.
The northern diversion will guide traffic through the A338, A36 (to Wilton roundabout and back), and A3094; while the southern diversion will lead traffic out to Blandford Forum via Ringwood and Ower, before returning to Salisbury.
Cllr Nick Holder, cabinet member for highways, said: “There’s never a good time to close a road, but we have done our best to minimise disruption on the Harnham Gyratory by completing this work at night and by avoiding the shift changeover at Salisbury Hospital.
“We are hoping to finish the work within the two nights of the weekend, but it may take a little longer, so we have scheduled for three nights, just in case, as the works are weather dependent.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused, but this is essential safety maintenance work that we cannot put off.
“There will be digital signage placed at key locations around the city – and beyond – to advise people of the work, and we have delivered letters to all immediately local residents.
“In our Business Plan we have committed to having well-connected communities, and a key part of that is maintaining and improving our 2,800-plus miles of highways we manage in Wiltshire, particularly main roads and key junctions such as Harnham Gyratory.”
Hopefully access to Old Harnham road and Harnham Bridge will be restricted and not available as a rat run for the heavy lorry traffic which uses the 3049 every night?