Amesbury at a standstill as A360 diversion begins

Traffic in Amesbury was at a standstill this morning on the A345 through the centre of the town.

This comes on the first day of the A360 being closed to install high-power electrical cables up to the impending A303 tunnel project.

At 10:30 this morning, traffic was queuing across and around the Countess Roundabout and through the centre of Amesbury in all directions around the A345.

Andy Munns from Salisbury Radio was caught in the traffic this morning. He said, “There were long queues, and it took a while for me to get through Amesbury on the way back to Salisbury from Durrington this morning.

“It’s going to be a very long three months for people trying to go about their daily lives in Amesbury if today is anything to go by.”

Between today and July this year, a section of the A360 will be temporarily closed to the south of the A303 between Longbarrow roundabout and The Avenue roundabout to allow the work to be done as safely and as quickly as possible.

During the closure, traffic will be diverted via the A345 and sections of the A303 and A36. Road signs will be in place to direct traffic to alternative routes.

Camp Hill and the Stoford to Woodford Middle road, which crosses the A360, will remain open throughout the works. Temporary weight restrictions will be in place on these roads.

David Bullock, National Highways’ Project Director for the A303 Stonehenge scheme, said: “We need to carry out the work now to ensure our programme timescales, and we want to give local communities as much notice as possible.

“We appreciate that roadworks and road closures can be frustrating, and we’d like to thank motorists, local residents and businesses in advance for their patience.

“Without the full closure, the work would take a lot longer to complete, and we’re making every effort to ensure that the impact on drivers and local communities is kept to an absolute minimum.