Author: Lesley Webb

Cutcombe update

Published on by Lesley WebbLeave a comment

I’m writing to provide a further update on the ongoing repair works along the A396 at Cutcombe Hill.

Over the past week, we have been able to stand down the planned night‑time road closures, which has reduced disruption to local residents and road users. During this time, the team has continued to make steady progress by completing the remaining elements of the scheme under daytime traffic light control. This has allowed us to keep the road open where possible while maintaining a safe working environment for the crew.

The scheme is now approaching its final stages. However, as part of the excavation and reinstatement activities, some unavoidable damage occurred to the road surface due to the movement and storage of materials and equipment on site. After reviewing the condition of the carriageway, it has been agreed that this presents a good opportunity to carry out resurfacing to ensure the road is returned to a high standard. Completing this now will avoid the need for a separate return visit later in the year and will provide a smoother, more durable finish for all road users.

To deliver these surfacing works safely and efficiently, we are proposing short daytime road closures on Thursday 26th February from 9am to 3pm and Friday 27th February from 9am to 3pm. These closures will give the crew the necessary working area and will prevent vehicles from travelling over freshly laid material before it has properly cured.

Once the resurfacing is complete, this will conclude the major civil engineering and reinstatement activities required for this scheme. Following this, only minor finishing tasks and site demobilisation will remain, which will be carried out with minimal impact on traffic.

We appreciate the continued patience and cooperation shown by residents, local businesses, and road users throughout these works. Your understanding has enabled us to progress the project effectively and safely.

If you have any questions or require further information, please let me know.

Yours faithfully,

Kali 

Kali Martin
Assistant Highway Service Manager 

Somerset Council Area – West

A396 works

Published on by Lesley WebbLeave a comment

On a recent inspection of Pitt Relief Culvert on the A396, one of our engineers discovered an area of concern adjacent to the culvert. There is an area where the River Avill has undercut the embankment and a very large tree stump to within 200mm to 300mm of the Highway, the river at this point is approximately 3m below the road. If allowed to continue unchecked there is potential that we may lose a section of the A396 leading to great inconvenience of the travelling public, local businesses, and local residents. The problem is situated just past the turning to Snowdrop Valley.

To pre-empt this, we have to design a retaining structure to keep the river from further encroachment on the Highway. The first phase of this will commence on 23rd of February and will involve clearing up to 20m of vegetation along the embankment, enabling the required surveys, bore holes, and information gathering to go ahead. We will also install temporary fencing to cover the area where the vegetation is removed. We have to carry this out before the 1st of March to avoid the bird nesting season which runs to August.

These initial works will take place under two-way traffic lights during the day. We had considered carrying out the works at night under the closure for the Cutcombe Hill works, but due to the near vertical embankment the operation will be carried out using Rope Access techniques. It simply isn’t safe enough to carry this out in this environment using artificial light.

At the moment we don’t have any estimates as to when the main body of the scheme will take place, however we are anxious to have it completed as soon as practicably possible. Undoubtably the main scheme will require a road closure, and we may have to further traffic controls for some of the surveys, the inconvenience of this is surely outweighed by the possibility of having the road collapse and the extensive time and expense it would take to repair.

Regards,

Nick Jacklin


Senior Bridge Engineer/Team Leader
Somerset Council

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Roads, travel and parking (somerset.gov.uk) for live travel alerts, roadworks information and winter weather updates

Public Rights of Way Annual Report 2024/25

Published on by Lesley WebbLeave a comment

I am pleased to be able to send you the link below to our Rights of Way Annual Report 2024/25.  The report actually covers the past 3 financial years – due to staffing shortages, no separate report was produced for 22/23 and 23/24. This catch-up report therefore covers all 3 years with the last full financial year 24/25 being covered in more depth. 

Annual Report

This has been a difficult period during which a major review of rights of way & access management was undertaken to help reconcile deep cuts to our core government grant and other budgetary pressures.  I hope you will see that whilst this has been challenging, we have still managed to achieve a great deal and maintained high levels of public satisfaction for access on Exmoor.  Thank you to those of you who have worked with us, sending in path reports or helping on the ground keeping paths clear for the public to use.  Your support is much appreciated during these tricky times, and I hope you are all looking forward to the weeks ahead enjoying Exmoor as spring emerges.

Please come back to us if you have any thoughts, queries, or suggestions. 

Kind regards

Sue Applegate

Senior Public Rights of Way & Access Officer

Exmoor National Park Authority

Exmoor House, Dulverton, Somerset TA22 9HL.

Tel:  01398 323665

Direct Line:  01398 322292

Working together for Exmoor