Wiltshire Council published a statement this morning encouraging cars to ‘follow diversion routes during the closure of the A346 in Marlborough’. This is particularly relevant to the Herd Street shutdown, as OpenReach is participating in the replacement of a structure beneath the road. The diversion takes traffic through Beckhampton and the A4361, but many can’t be bothered, as we saw over the weekend with HGVs wreaking havoc on Kingsbury Street. The drivers said that their Sat Navs were still directing them along Herd Street. So, wouldn’t they?
Wiltshire Council has also demanded that OpenReach comply with its ‘Traffic Management Plan’, which may appear to be empty words without consistent actions. Is that overly cynical?
Cllr Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Highways, remarked, “While this Openreach work on the A346 is ongoing in Marlborough, it is critical that drivers follow the official diversion and do not attempt to use routes that are unsuitable for vehicles, particularly HGVs.”
“We had some concerns with this over the weekend, as some cars ignored the warnings and official diversions, causing significant complications for locals.
“Our teams are inspecting all signage to ensure that it complies with the terms agreed upon in Openreach’s traffic management plan before the work began, and if it does not, we will take action against the contractors to ensure that the necessary signs is erected.
“This work is being done during half-term, when traffic numbers are low. However, we must emphasise that individuals must adhere to the official detour in order to limit inconvenience for all road users in the area, including local residents.”
The message also alerts the public to the information available on the ‘one.network’ website, which provides information on all roadworks and closures. However, the information presented there does not necessarily provide clarity about what will happen. It can be deceiving. The current concerns involving the Port Hill works – for the Council contractors and Utilities companies – weren’t proper in terms of closure hours. Complete? Overnight? Single lane or two lanes? And the work schedule dates were revised with short notice. All of this is important information for road users since it impacts the lives of everyone who travels or intends to travel along this stretch of road. Marlborough.news has repeatedly contacted the Council to guarantee that the information shown is correct, but has yet to obtain a clear reassurance.
So there’s traffic congestion in Marlborough. Part of our life. Will it ever change? We hope so, but only our pressure, as residents who are suffering from the consequences of the roads, issues, and poor communication from the Council and its contractors, can provide the relief that we all require.
Leave a Reply