Motorists warned to plan ahead as A360 in Wiltshire closes for three months

High voltage and fibre optic cabling will be installed along the route to provide a power supply for the A303 Stonehenge upgrade.

A section of the A360 in Wiltshire has been closed for three months as work gets underway to prepare for the A303 Stonehenge upgrade.

It's shut between the junction of The Avenue and Longbarrow junction while underground cabling is put in to supply electricity for the construction work and tunnel.

Motorists are warned to plan ahead and allow extra time for journeys as traffic is diverted via the A345 and sections of the A303 and A36

Drivers are warned to leave extra time for journeys as diversions are put in place. Credit: National Highways

High voltage and fibre optic cabling will be installed along the route, which requires a full closure for safety reasons, due to the narrow width of the road.

The work will be carried out seven days a week, with some overnight working.

Andrew Clark, National Highways’ Project Manager for the A303 Stonehenge scheme, said, “The road scheme will ultimately tackle the longstanding issue of rat running and provide a real benefit to local communities, and for this essential preliminary work, we are doing all we can to put in measures to lessen the impact for local communities and the travelling public.“

The A303 Stonehenge Upgrade will include a tunnel at least two miles long underneath the World Heritage Site Credit: ITV Meridian

"We need to carry out the work now to maintain our programme, 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 working with Wiltshire Council, we’re making every effort to ensure that the impact on drivers and local communities is kept to an absolute minimum.”

The A303 Stonehenge upgrade includes:

  • eight miles of dual carriageway between Amesbury and Berwick Down

  • a tunnel at least two miles long underneath the World Heritage Site, closely following the existing A303 route, but a further 50 metres away from the Stonehenge monument, avoiding important archaeological sites, and avoiding intrusion on the view of the setting sun from the stones during the winter solstice

  • a new bypass to the north of the village of Winterbourne Stoke

  • junctions with the A345 and A360 either side of the World Heritage Site

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