Six weeks of roadworks looming large for Melksham (From Wiltshire Times)

Six weeks of roadworks looming large for Melksham

5:15pm Wednesday 10th March 2010

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More roadworks are looming on the horizon for Melksham town centre with a temporary one way system being set up to allow for six weeks of disruption to replace a gas main.

Wiltshire Council will be creating the one way system in High Street, from Lowbourne roundabout to the junction with Church Street, on behalf of Wales and West Utilities from April 6.

Vehicles will only be able to drive through the town centre from the Market Place direction.

As well as the road closure, a temporary 7.5 tonne weight limit will be put in place along Blackmore Road, Coronation Road, Pembroke Road, Queensway and Ruskin Avenue, to stop lorries using the streets as a rat-run The prospect of more roadworks, which follows 14 weeks of disruption last summer to allow for town centre improvement works, is causing concern for businesses.

Jim Broome, from the Ashers Cafe in High Street said last time the roadworks were put in place, he lost in the region of £21,000 in profit.

He said: “With this disruption coming up I think I will lose in the region of £1,500 a week in profit. Obviously the last time we had roadworks it was a huge disruption.

“The current economic climate has not really affected us, but the roadworks have, so these new roadworks will be another blow.”

Mr Broome said as well as the one way system, he has also been told in a letter from Wales and West Utilities that gas supplies will be disrupted for a day during the period of work.

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