Motorists in the South West are set to enjoy smoother journeys after National Highways’ A303 Sparkford to Ilchester upgrade opened to traffic today (Monday 4th November).
The multi-million-pound scheme in Somerset has involved upgrading a 3.5-mile section of single carriageway to a dual carriageway, which will help to promote economic growth, improve journey times, and increase safety by unlocking a major bottleneck in the county.
The new section of dual carriageway will significantly reduce travel time in the region, cutting congestion throughout the school holidays and for daily commuters.
National Highways has:
- Upgraded 3.5 miles of existing single carriageway to dual carriageway.
- Built 3 new junctions at Camel Cross, Downhead and Hazlegrove which safely separate traffic.
- Built two new structures, a bridge at Steart Hill and an underpass at Hazlegrove, which will allow all road users to cross the A303 safely.
- Excavated and redistributed 900,000m3 of earth and soil to create cuttings up to 10m in depth and embankments up to 12m in height to provide a level route for the new road.
- Planted 89 individual native trees as well as creating:
- 4 hectares, equivalent to 1,352 football pitches, of woodland and linear belts of trees
- Over 6 miles of new hedgerow
- Worked over 1,000,000 hours on the scheme
- Completed three full weekend closures
Siân Hopkins, National Highways’ Senior Project Manager, said: “The whole team has worked incredibly hard to move the scheme forward and achieve the opening of the new stretch of A303 this November, overcoming a number of challenges along the way.
“This will make a significant and positive difference to the journeys of visitors, local communities, and businesses – this year and into the future. I would like to thank everyone in Somerset for their patience and support since construction of the project started back in 2021.
“It’s a terrific achievement for all involved, motorists and residents will benefit from shorter journey times and improved access. The scheme will unlock greater mobility and be a catalyst for growth throughout the region.”
Glennan Blackmore, Managing Director for Galliford Try Infrastructure, commented: “We are delighted to have completed this vital new piece of infrastructure on behalf of National Highways that will make such a difference to the lives of local people in the region.
“The A303 has been a considerable undertaking for our team and our stakeholders, which has delivered not only a high-quality finished project, but also added significant social value to the local community along the way, and I commend all those involved for their success.”
Now the scheme is open for traffic, it will provide several benefits to road users, businesses, the local community and tourists.
These include:
- Providing more reliable journey times
- Improving safety and reducing driver stress by providing a more free-flowing network
- Providing safer local access provisions for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised users
- Supporting the local economy to grow through the creation of a modernised and reliable road which reduces delays and makes the South West more accessible for tourism and business
- Improving the environment by reducing pollution from queuing traffic, particularly during the busy summer months.
Whilst the main A303 dual carriageway is now open for traffic, work is still happening at night, and in other areas close to the scheme. This is because the project team are finishing work on the central reservation of the new road, local accesses, side roads and the surrounding landscape.
The project is due to finish these works in early 2025.
Sarah Dyke, MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, said: “I’m pleased to see these upgrades are now complete. A safer and less congested A303 will benefit both people living in Glastonbury and Somerton and the millions of tourists who visit the West Country each year alike, and I look forward to seeing many of those tourists stopping and spending time in Somerset – the gateway to the south-west.
“Good transport links are a vital step to encourage new investment into Somerset to support our local economy, businesses, and communities.”
Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Transport and Waste Services, Councillor Richard Wilkins said: “Somerset Council and our predecessor authorities have long advocated for this improvement. It’s a vital transport artery for the region and this is a massive step forward for Somerset and the South West.”
David Crew, Managing Director of Somerset Chamber of Commerce, said: “Somerset is home to a wide range of businesses and good transport links are vital to ensure they can trade on a level playing field with their more urban counterparts.
“Dualling this section of the A303 between Sparkford and Ilchester is to be welcomed as it will help to ensure a greater flow of traffic, result in fewer delays and, therefore, costs to businesses and make it easier for firms to access a wider supply chain.”
Giles Adams, Visit Somerset Chair, added: “Visit Somerset very much welcomes the remarkable improvements to the A303 between Sparkford and Ilchester. We are very appreciative to the local communities and businesses that have worked around the development period and now look forward to the route helping deliver improved travel experiences and economic benefit for the important visitor economy in Somerset.”
Throughout the build, the scheme has also been conscious of leaving a lasting legacy for the local community and surrounding area, including:
- Over £55,000 worth of funding to local communities through the Social Value Fund
- Secured new basketball hoops for Charlton playing fields, allotment equipment for Trent Young’s Primary School and camping equipment for Camelot Harriers Explorers
- Our on-site archaeologists have helped to chart the history of the area and have discovered a selection of artefacts such as:
- A copper alloy brooch, decorated with enamel-filled lozenges, dating back to between AD 60–150
- Worked bone point which could have been used as a pin, skewer, weaving shuttle or pin beater for textile manufacture
- Mesolithic chert and flint tools
- Neolithic flint knives and charred plant remains from Neolithic pits
To find out more, visit https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/south-west/a303-sparkford-to-ilchester/
About National Highways
National Highways is the wholly government-owned company responsible for modernising, maintaining and operating England’s motorways and major A roads.
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