The abnormal load seen on the A303 back in December is set to make a return journey tomorrow (Wednesday 2nd July) and Thursday.
At approximately 11.00am on Wednesday 2nd July, three specialist load transporters carrying dump trucks will be escorted by Wiltshire Police from Whatley Quarry, Frome to the Parkhouse roundabout off the A303. The transporter will then continue its planned route on the A303 and A34 before later joining the M4 where it will re-enter the county.
The same transporters carrying similar loads will then make an identical trip 24 hours later on Thursday 3rd July, also starting at approximately 11.00am.
The transporters and their loads will measure 5.75 metres (18ft 10ins) wide, 4.98m (16ft 4ins) high with an overall length of 23m (76ft) and gross weight of 117 tonnes.
Routes that are likely to be affected by the transportation are the eastbound stretches of the A361, A36, A350 and A303. The transporter will also be travelling on the A34 and M4 later in the afternoon.
Due to the size of the transporters, they will be slow moving and will have the potential to create congestion. Wherever possible, disruption will be kept to a minimum but hauliers and motorists are asked to please be patient if they come across this load. Anyone travelling over this period should allow sufficient additional time.
Regular updates and travel information in respect of the abnormal loads will be passed from Wiltshire Police control room at Devizes when appropriate to help motorists plan their journey.
Police escorting resources are being provided by volunteer police officers on rest days, paid for by the haulier at no cost to the public.
Of course there is a bloody cost to the public!! Getting caught up in a tailback will inevitably have an adverse effect on other road users, their employment, and others’ in the business and commercial sectors. This is a private enterprise and why not travel overnight when traffic is at a lesser level. ‘No cost to the public?’ Who do you/ they think pays to use the road, for the Police escort, highways staff and other behind the scenes traffic management departments? Stupid bloody mitigation!
We’re not sure this is the REAL Dali Llama 🙂
The people who live in Winterbourne Stoke are hardest hit by this type of traffic. Where else would a main arterial road – the A303 run through a sleepy village. To make matters worse, there was an accident at Stonehenge Bottom west bound so queuing was back to Amesbury. Also, while waiting on the abnormal load, east bound at the junction of the B3083 Winterbourne stoke, one of the HGV’s hauling a huge motorhome from Glastonbury Festival, broke down – break disk shattered….all chaos on the A303 around this area as usual and it needs to be dualled from West Amesbury and a Bypass around WBS. 2000 names already on our petition – Stonehenge Traffic Actio Group.
To transport abnormal loads the company has to notify the highway agencies a number of weeks/months beforehand, they then have to pay cost for use of roads and police escort and the public can obtain information about such traffic, therefore allowing you to make an informed decision and use an alternate route, why do we have so many people in the world whining! Did it occur to you that this is also someone’s company trying to earn a living?