New footage captures A303 Sparkford to Ilchester scheme approaching completion

Three years on since work started, the progress being made on the scheme between Sparkford and Ilchester, which will tackle congestion, improve safety and help support increased economic prosperity in the Somerset and the South West, is clear in these new aerial footage. 

It shows how much progress has been made since work began on site in 2021. Both structures, Steart Hill Bridge and Hazlegrove underpass, are now complete, with Hazlegrove underpass opening in June, connecting Camel Hill with the communities south of the A303, without having to travel on the main road.

The next stage of work will see a change of the traffic management layout between the Steart Hill junction and the end of the scheme, just past Hazlegrove roundabout.

Traffic will travel along the entirety of the new eastbound carriageway between Podimore and the Hazlegrove roundabout once completed.

Caption: A view of the scheme from the Eastern end

The project has already hit several milestones throughout the build, and will involve finishing off the new road and linking it in with the existing A303 as it nears completion in Winter 2024/25. 

Some key achievements over the last three years include: 

• Creating five new attenuation ponds to help with drainage on the scheme; 
• Installing the Steart Hill and Hazlegrove bridge decks – weighing a combined 1,673 tonnes – the same as 137 double decker busses; 
• Opening of the Hazlegrove underpass in June 2024, to connect the communities of Camel Hill with Sparkford and Queen Camel; 
• Installing more than 300 bird, bat, dormouse and owl boxes, to support wildlife relocation during the construction phase; 
• Carrying out 3 successful traffic switches and 3 weekend closures with minimal disruption.

Caption: The new Hazlegrove underpass that opened in June

Siân Hopkins, Senior Project Manager for National Highways, said: “The A303 is a vital scheme for the South West and we have pushed ahead on this much-needed scheme, completing work so far with minimal disruption to the travelling public and local residents. 

“We’re also delighted to be entering the final stages of schemes that will see us open in Winter 24/25 and we can’t wait to see users get the full benefit of this scheme.

“The upgrade will mean smoother, safer and more reliable journeys for drivers and we will build on the progress already made to deliver this new stretch of road as soon as we can.” 

Final work on the scheme will now be to complete the westbound carriageway through the entirety of the scheme, which will make up the final switch towards the end of the year. Drainage works, landscaping and fencing works will also continue as the project moves towards fully opening in Winter 2024/25.

To allow the project to carry out the next phase of work, a change to the traffic management layout between Steart Hill junction and the end of the scheme, just past Hazlegrove roundabout is needed.

Once the change is complete traffic will be travelling along the entirety of the new eastbound carriageway between Podimore and the Hazlegrove roundabout.

The change will happen under an overnight closure of the A303 between the Hazlegrove and Podimore roundabouts. The closure will be in place between 9pm on Friday 9 August until 6am Saturday 10 August.

During this closure, access will remain for residents with direct access onto the A303. A signed diversion will be in place for all other traffic.

Caption: The new Steart Hill Bridge and Downhead Junction

As part of National Highways’ commitment to the local area, the government owned company has also invested more than £54,000 in 10 community projects through its social value fund, helping to leave a lasting legacy on the community, including: 

• new basketball hoop at The Charltons villages
• new cricket nets for Babcary Cricket Club; 
• refurbishing the guide posts at Martson Magna; 
• new equipment at Queen Camel playing fields;
• pond area in the Countess Gytha Primary School;
• polytunnel for Keinton Mandeville Primary school.

Caption: National Highways donated more than £4,000 to help The Charltons villages set up a new basketball hoop and benches at their youth club

The A303 Sparkford to Ilchester upgrade will provide a high-quality three-mile dual carriageway link on the A303 in Somerset, including new and replacement slip roads, junctions and road bridges to replace existing junctions and direct access roads.   

The new dualled section will start east of Podimore Roundabout, follow the alignment of the existing A303 to Downhead, and then move north of the existing A303 single carriageway, allowing the existing road to be kept for use as a local road in this section.  

The route will rise up West Camel Hill before crossing over the existing A303 at the junction with Steart Hill/Howell Hill and meet up with the existing road again between Vale Farm and the Ministry of Defence signal station at Eyewell/Traits Land.  

The final section of the route bypasses the existing Hazlegrove Roundabout to the north through the Registered Park and Garden associated with Hazlegrove House, before tying into the existing A303 Sparkford Bypass.  

Once completed, the route will make this section of the A303 safer for all users, while protecting the environment by minimising the impact on the surrounding landscape.  

Caption: The new roundabout at Camel Hill

The £155m scheme between Sparkford and Ilchester will not only promote economic growth in this area of Somerset, but it will also tackle a long-standing bottleneck, reduce journey times to the South West and improve traffic flows in the area at peak times and during peak seasons.   

On an average day, the A303 between Sparkford and Ilchester carries 23,500 vehicles but numbers increase significantly in the summer, particularly at weekends, making journeys unreliable and unpredictable.     

In delivering the scheme, National Highways is aiming to:   

• improve the capacity of the road to reduce delays and queues that occur during peak hours and at key times of the year i.e. the height of summer.   
• support economic growth, facilitating growth in jobs and housing by providing a free-flowing and reliable connection between the South East and the South West   
• make the road safer, by providing additional capacity and reducing driver stress. We’ll make routes safer for pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders in the area.   
• protect the environment and look for opportunities to improve it, minimising any unnecessary impact of the scheme on the surrounding natural and historic environment and landscape.   
• work with local communities to reduce the impact of the road on a sense of community severance and look for ways to improve local peoples’ quality of life.   
• make journey times more reliable and resilient, by providing more capacity it will become easier to manage traffic when incidents occur.   

National Highways is working with its delivery partner, Galliford Try, to construct the scheme. 

With construction now into its third year, you can find out more about the scheme and the construction process on National Highways’ website, by visiting https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/south-west/a303-sparkford-to-ilchester/