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Somerset Levels floods: A372 and Drayton Road work starts | Somerset Levels floods: A372 and Drayton Road work starts |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Work has begun on two roads on the Somerset Levels in an effort to prevent communities being cut off by flooding. | Work has begun on two roads on the Somerset Levels in an effort to prevent communities being cut off by flooding. |
Last winter large parts of the Levels were deluged with flooding, leaving a village cut off for two months and a trunk road closed for several weeks. | |
Somerset County Council leader John Osman said the project would normally take two years to plan but this had been narrowed down to two months. | |
The road to Muchelney will be raised and culverts will go under the A372. | |
Twenty-year plan | Twenty-year plan |
Muchelney has been cut off by flood water for some period of time each winter for the past two years. | Muchelney has been cut off by flood water for some period of time each winter for the past two years. |
During last winter's floods (December 2013 - February 2014 ) the village was cut off for two months, while the previous winter it was cut off for several days. | During last winter's floods (December 2013 - February 2014 ) the village was cut off for two months, while the previous winter it was cut off for several days. |
The plans are part of the 20-year Flood Action Plan with the council hoping it will secure access in future floods. | The plans are part of the 20-year Flood Action Plan with the council hoping it will secure access in future floods. |
The work on the A372, which is a main route across the Somerset Levels, will take place at Beer Wall. | |
John Rowlands of the Environment Agency, which is also involved in the project, said: "At Beer Wall, the water course that runs underneath it is locally known as a the River Sowy. | John Rowlands of the Environment Agency, which is also involved in the project, said: "At Beer Wall, the water course that runs underneath it is locally known as a the River Sowy. |
"It's other name, rather fetchingly, is the Parrett Flood-Relief Channel - in other words it takes water from the River Parrett puts it into River Sowy, eventually into the King Sedgemoor's Drain and back out into the River Parrett at Dunball. | "It's other name, rather fetchingly, is the Parrett Flood-Relief Channel - in other words it takes water from the River Parrett puts it into River Sowy, eventually into the King Sedgemoor's Drain and back out into the River Parrett at Dunball. |
"What we're hoping to do with these works is to remove any constrictions that allow this channel to run at its maximum capacity." | "What we're hoping to do with these works is to remove any constrictions that allow this channel to run at its maximum capacity." |
The River Sowy will also be widened so Aller Moor can drain more quickly, to cut the flood risk. | The River Sowy will also be widened so Aller Moor can drain more quickly, to cut the flood risk. |
A 547 yard-stretch (500m) of Drayton Road, which leads to Muchelney, will be raised by more than 3.9 ft (120 cm) at its lowest point. | A 547 yard-stretch (500m) of Drayton Road, which leads to Muchelney, will be raised by more than 3.9 ft (120 cm) at its lowest point. |