Bad weather delays A303 scheme

National Highways' £250m A303 Sparkford to Ilchester scheme is set to be delayed by several months after 'very challenging' summer weather.

New Blackmore Vale reported that poor weather and other factors have seen the completion date slip on the project to upgrade a three-mile section of the route to dual carriageway.

It said the project, which is priced at £100m to £250m and was scheduled to open to traffic in spring 2024, could be delayed for months – possibly until the end of next year.

National Highways has not denied the report, but said it was working hard on what is a ‘vital scheme for the South West and Somerset’ and has 'made good progress through the summer despite very challenging weather through July and August’.

The government-owned company said it will provide an update on opening as soon as possible, although any delay would have to go through a formal change process.

New Blackmore Vale quoted an anonymous source close to the project as saying: ‘The weather has meant certain things can’t be done and that has set it back. I don’t think it can be done before the end of 2024, so the delay will be around nine months, I think.’

The scheme was granted a Development Consent Order in January 2021 and work began in October of that year.

It is one of three confirmed schemes in the A303/A358 corridor, which include the £2bn Stonehenge scheme, with National Highways aiming to carry out further upgrades on the route in future road investment strategies.