PR5339 – C13 Road closed to improve traffic management

Road closed to improve traffic management – 18-22 Jan 2016

The C13 between Blandford and Shaftesbury will be closed at Melbury Abbas for one week to allow the replacement of barriers in Dinah’s Hollow.

Currently Dorset County Council has temporary traffic management within the hollow to move vehicles into the centre of the road, reducing the risk to road users from the possibility of a landslip from unstable slopes.

The existing water filled barriers will be replaced with more substantial concrete blocks. This follows a decision from the county council’s Cabinet, earlier this month, to delay the process of stabilising the slopes in order to investigate longer term measures for strategic traffic routes within Dorset, Wiltshire, and Bath and North Somerset.

Cllr Peter Finney, the council’s Cabinet member for environment, said:

“Although our plans for stabilising the slopes in Dinah’s Hollow have been delayed, it is important that we maintain the traffic management for the duration until we know about any future plans.

“We have already had a good meeting with our neighbouring councils and will continue to investigate all our options.”

The week long road closure, in place 24 hours a day, will start at on Monday 18 January and finish on the following Friday. During this time the highways teams will also be carrying out some safety works to the trees.

Resurfacing Boundary and West Hill will take place in the spring.

For more information about Dinah’s hollow visit www.dorsetforyou.com/dinahs-hollow

Issued By:
Fiona King, Public Relations Officer
Tel: 01305 224725
Email: f.e.king@dorsetcc.gov.uk

Communications Unit, County Hall, Dorchester DT1 1XJ
Tel 01305 224491
www.dorsetforyou.com/news

PR 4282 – Road closure for site meeting

Road closure for site meeting

Part of the road that links Blandford and Shaftesbury will be closed for seven hours this Wednesday.

The C13 through Melbury Abbas and Dinah’s Hollow is to be shut between 9am and 4pm so that Dorset County Council engineers can meet with landowners to discuss the stabilisation proposals.

Cllr Peter Finney, Cabinet member for environment, said:

“It’s essential for us to discuss our proposals with landowners and unfortunately, due to the narrow passage through the hollow, we need to close the road to carry out the site visit safely.

“We’ll be carrying out a site inspection and survey work to make the best use of time, we’re sorry for the disruption the closure will cause.”

The road is currently open under traffic management following a complete closure by the council last year after the slopes through the hollow were found to be unstable.

More information can be found at dinahs-hollow

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984, TEMPORARY ROAD CLOSURE NOTICE, DINAH’S HOLLOW, MELBURY ABBAS

Please follow the link below to see a copy of the Temporary Road Closure Notice for the C13 at Dinah’s Hollow, Melbury Abbas on the 14th October 2015 –

Temporary Closure of the C13 14th October 2015

If you would like further information

about the work being undertaken, please call Dorset Highways Operation team on 01305 228100.

concerning this notice please call Dorset Highways’ road space management team on 01305 221020

PR 4250 – C13 – Growing support for HGV one-way system

Growing support for HGV one-way system

The trial of an unofficial, voluntary HGV one-way system directing HGVs to travel north towards Shaftesbury on the A350 and south towards Blandford on the C13 is being supported by local and national firms

Dorset County Council implemented this scheme following feedback from haulage firms and residents along both roads. It will lessen the likelihood of two HGV’s travelling in opposite directions trying to pass each other at a pinch point. This situation, when it happens, can cause disruption and delays to all highway users and impacts on local communities.

The voluntary one-way system started on 20 July and has gained support from haulage companies including the county council’s business partners Hanson and the Dorset Waste Partnership. The Road Haulage Association and the Freight Transport Association have informed their members of this scheme and have asked them to make a measurable impact on the way HGV’s and coaches travel these routes.

Cllr Peter Finney, the county council’s Cabinet member for environment, said:

“This trial of a one-way system is down to the hard work of officers negotiating with the relevant organisations to find a solution that would work.

“This is a voluntary scheme and we are unable to enforce it, but if it can reduce the number of HGVs meeting than it has to be good for everyone.

“We will continue to monitor this arrangement, keeping an eye on the situation.”

The trial will continue until the C13 at Melbury Abbas is closed again when work will start on stabilising Dinah’s Hollow. The road had been closed for over a year due to the risk to road users from the unstable slopes. A date for this work has not been set.

For more information about the Dinah’s Hollow project visit www.dorsetforyou.com/dinahs-hollow.

Issued By:
Fiona King, Public Relations Officer
Tel: 01305 224725
Email: f.e.king@dorsetcc.gov.uk

PR 4207 – C13 Re-opens

The C13 that links Blandford to Shaftesbury via Melbury Abbas will be opened tomorrow (07 July) following final technical checks on traffic control through Dinah’s Hollow.

The road is being temporarily opened under traffic management following a complete closure by Dorset County Council last year after the slopes through the hollow were found to be unstable.

Andrew Martin, the council’s head of highways, said:

“The short-term re-opening of this route will help the county’s roads cope with summer traffic.

“We have reduced the width of the road to keep those in small vehicles safe. There will be shuttle working through this section, managed by traffic lights. There may be some delays if traffic volumes increase.

The county council will continue to work with the local community with the plans that will resolve the long-term stability of the slopes.”

Details of the project can be found at www.dorsetforyou.com/dinahs-hollow

Issued By:
Fiona King, Public Relations Officer
Tel: 01305 224725
Email: f.e.king@dorsetcc.gov.uk

PR 4190 – C13 to re-open

The C13 road that has been closed for over a year will be temporarily reopened at the end of the month with a reduced width and traffic lights.

The C13 that runs through Dinah’s Hollow in Melbury Abbas links Blandford and Shaftesbury. The road has been closed for over a year after a report showed that the slopes beside the road were unstable and a potential hazard to road users.

Last month Dorset County Council’s Cabinet considered a report that looked at the full risk assessment of the impact of the closure on surrounding roads, communities and businesses compared to the safety risk over longer timescales than initially expected to complete the proposed stabilisation works.

The Cabinet decided to temporarily open the road with a traffic management solution to reduce the risk of a car being engulfed if a slippage happens. Placing continuous lines of barriers either side of the centreline and directing a single lane of traffic down the centre of the road, controlled by traffic lights will move vehicles away from the bottom of the slopes.

Cllr Peter Finney, Cabinet member for environment, said:

“This will help to alleviate the pressure on the county’s roads during the busy summer months and to reduce the wear and tear of the surrounding small roads and local rat runs.”

The county council’s highways team will continue with negotiations and consultation to ensure a long-term solution for the stabilisation of the slopes can be realised.

More information can be found on www.dorsetforyou.com/dinahs-hollow.

PR 4076 – Solution to Dinah’s Hollow

Engineers from Dorset County Council have unveiled the solution to stabilise the slopes in Dinah’s Hollow, near Melbury Abbas.

The C13, between Blandford and Shaftesbury has been closed since April after a report showed that the slopes beside the road were unstable and a potential hazard to road users.

A combination of soil nailing, mesh work and low level concrete panels will be used to stabilise the soil to prevent slippage, protect the slopes and allow the road to be reopened.

The consultants Parsons Brinckerhoff, considered a number of possible solutions including regrading the slopes, bio-engineering and high retaining walls. The final solution will use proven technology and allow as much as possible of the ancient holloway’s character to be retained.

Timescales for this work are being finalised, but a number of statutory processes may delay the start of the work. These include approvals for works to trees protected by Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) and Environmental impact assessments.

There will be a period of vegetation clearance and removal of some trees to allow access to the banks for installation of stabilisation measures. To reduce the disturbance to birds and other animals this cannot be done between March and August. It is hoped that a number of trees at the top of the slope will be retained.

Cllr Peter Finney, Cabinet member for environment and economy, said:

“Getting the timing right is going to be very tricky. Our discussions are still on going with various third parties to resolve any final issues. As soon as these negotiations are successfully completed the operation plan can be put in place, then there will be clarity with the timescales. Until that point is reached no definite dates can be finalised.

“Teams will continue surveying and repairing roads affected by the closure, but a longer term solution to reducing the impact on surrounding routes is being worked on.”

For more details of the solution and the engineers reports visit www.dorsetforyou.com/dinahs-hollow

Issued By:
Fiona King, Public Relations Officer
Tel: 01305 224725
Email: f.e.king@dorsetcc.gov.uk

Communications Unit, County Hall, Dorchester DT1 1XJ. Tel 01305 224491
www.dorsetforyou.com/news

PR 4016 – Dinah’s Hollow surveys published

Ecological surveys of the slopes through Dinah’s Hollow have been published.

The C13, between Blandford and Shaftesbury was closed by Dorset County Council in April after discovering that the slopes beside the road were unstable. The surveys were carried out by the county council’s natural environment team and are based on three site visits in May and July. The aim of the study was to identify protected species and assess any impact that any work may have on wildlife.

A number of protected species have been identified on site including badgers, bats and a number of birds including song thrushes and woodpeckers.

Several recommendations have been suggested to reduce the effects of any proposed work including carefully felling trees to prevent bats from being harmed and restricting tree and scrub clearance during nesting season.

Cllr Peter Finney, county council Cabinet member for environment and economy, said:

“A number of engineering solutions to stabilise the slopes are currently being developed, but care will be taken to ensure wildlife is protected and the character of this historic holloway is retained.”

Alongside the animals a number of notable plant species have also been found. These will be conserved where possible and enhanced by replanting of native species after the work is complete.

Cllr Deborah Croney, the local member for Hambledon, said:

“It is important to find a solution that protects road users, allows the road to reopen and preserve the area’s character.”

For full details of the surveys and the closure visit www.dorsetforyou.com/dinahs-hollow

Issued By:
Fiona King, Public Relations Officer
Tel: 01305 224491
Email: f.e.king@dorsetcc.gov.uk

Communications Unit, County Hall, Dorchester DT1 1XJ. Tel 01305 224491
www.dorsetforyou.com/news

PR 3986 – C13 – Construction Industry boom delays tests

The testing of soil samples from unstable slopes in Melbury Abbas will not be finished until early September due to a buoyant construction industry.

The C13, between Blandford and Shaftesbury has been closed by Dorset County Council for four months after discovering that the slopes beside the road were unstable.

Soil samples were taken from two areas in the village, the first below St Thomas’s church and a second set of samples were taken from both sites of Dinah’s Hollow.

The tests, to be carried out by an independent laboratory, have been delayed due to a backlog of work at many labs around the country. The results will provide detailed information about the strength of the soils to help the consultants, Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB), draw up a number of measures to stabilise the slopes.

The reports on both sites are due to be finished by the autumn when they will be consulted upon, allowing local residents to voice their opinions. Financial implications will also be considered and a budget for the work agreed upon.

The final scheme will be designed, contractors employed and then construction can begin. A firm timescale will not be available until the options have been scrutinised and an understanding of the practical solutions gained.

Cllr Deborah Croney, local member for Hambledon, said:

“Dorset County Council is working hard to make sure this situation is resolved as quickly as possible, but this is a complex project and it will take time to find a solution that works.“In the meantime I’ve been working with officers to look at a number of traffic management solutions that could help reduce the impact of large vehicles using both theC13 andA350 once Dinah’s Hollow has been opened.“I’m also is continuing with my infrastructure improvements agenda, which is a longer term goal working with the parishes, County Council, the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and MP, Robert Walter to source central government funding.”

For more information visit www.dorsetforyou.com/dinahs-hollow

Ends
Issued By:
Fiona King, Public Relations Officer
Tel: 01305 224491
Email: f.e.king@dorsetcc.gov.uk

Attachments

Boreholes for soil samples Dinah’s Hollow.JPG
Soil samples from Dinah’s Hollow Soil samples from Dinah’s Hollow

Communications Unit, County Hall, Dorchester DT1 1XJ. Tel 01305 224491

www.dorsetforyou.com/news

PR 3974 – Site visit at Dinah’s Hollow

Local villagers have been given the chance to view the closed section of the C13 and ask questions about what is happening.

Representatives from the parish councils affected by the closure of the road between Blandford and Shaftesbury visited the site with county council officers earlier this month (9 July).
The escorted visit showed residents the reasons for shutting the road and showed where soil samples have been taken to help the engineers design a solution to stabilise the slopes.
The C13 through Melbury Abbas was closed by Dorset County Council following investigations that revealed the steep slopes were unstable.
There is a diversion along the A350 between Blandford and Shaftesbury bypassing this closure.
The county council has been working with Dorset Police and local communities on the A350, C13 and surrounding roads to reduce the use of ‘rat runs’ and remind drivers of the speed limits through the villages.

Extra Speed Indicator devices (SIDs), temporary flashing signs that warn drivers who are speeding, have also been installed.

Cllr Deborah Croney, county councillor for Hambledon, said:

“The site visit was very helpful. Ideas about the closure were discussed alongside current and future traffic issues.
“The county council’s highways team have been analysing road usage and speeds affected routes. Details of data collected will be published soon.”

Up to date information about the closure and work plans visit www.dorsetforyou.com/dinahs-hollow

Issued By:
Fiona King, Public Relations Officer
Tel: 01305 224491
Email: f.e.king@dorsetcc.gov.u