There is less than three weeks to go until a village will see six-weeks of chaos as a section of the coast road closes.

The closure is part of a £250,000 water mains scheme in Portesham.

Teams will work on a 200-metre stretch of the B3157 (Goose Hill) to the west of the village, replacing the main with new plastic pipes in a project that will start on Monday, September 30, and will continue for six weeks, with a scheduled finish on Friday, November 8.

Concerns were recently raised to Portesham Parish Council at a meeting also attended by Wessex Water representatives.

The key issues discussed included:

  • School Bus Services: Concerns were raised regarding transportation for children attending Portesham and Budmouth Schools.
  • Public Bus Services: Residents inquired about the continued availability of the public bus service that runs along the B3157, which many rely on for commuting to and from work.
  • Portesham Surgery Access: The impact of the road closure on access to healthcare services was also discussed.
  • Diversion Routes: Residents expressed concerns about the proposed diversion routes, particularly the likelihood of increased traffic on narrow, single-track roads.
  • Emergency Vehicle Access: Ensuring clear access routes for emergency vehicles was a major topic of concern.

Councillor Cllr Sally Holland and Councillor David Collins of the Parish Council were both present at the meeting.

A spokesperson for Portesham Parish Council said: “Wessex Water assured attendees that all stakeholders have been notified and consulted. However, some details, particularly regarding the school bus services, remain unresolved. The Parish Council, with the support of Ward Councillor Sally Holland, will follow up with Dorset Council’s transport team to address these concerns.

“We plan to hold another meeting before the road closure at the end of the month to provide further updates and clarify any remaining issues.”

The road will be closed to through traffic in both directions between the entrance to Manor Dairy and just past Malthouse Meadow for the main replacement, with work continuing seven days a week to get the project finished as quickly as possible and the road reopened.

Traffic will be officially diverted using the B3157, A354 (Weymouth Way), B3159 and A35 roads and, as well as traditional road signs, digital road displays will be in place at various locations, including Weymouth and Bridport, to advise drivers about the closure.

Cllr Andy Horne of Portesham Parish Council said: “We have had a consultation with residents as they had quite a lot of questions. Most people were concerned about the bus service as a lot of children in Abbotsbury who go to school in areas like Weymouth and the diversion makes that an awful long road.

“It’s also going to have a knock on effect with everyone moving around – hopefully it will be sign posted as Wessex Water have stated. We are hoping that it will have as minimal impact as possible.”

The roadworks will mean that the X53 bus route will divert via Winterbourne Abbas, with a special and temporary T53 bus service being put in place, operating a shuttle service between Abbotsbury and Bridport.

A spokesperson for First Wessex said: “Roadworks at B3157 Goose Hill, Portesham will mean that the X53 will divert via Winterbourne Abbas from September 30 until November 8. A special temporary route – the T53 – will be introduced to operate a shuttle service from Abbotsbury - Bridport only.

“The timetable of the X53 will change between Weymouth and Bridport to account for the diversion via Winterbourne Abbas.

“Route T53 will operate to connect with services to/from Weymouth, however some passengers may need to travel on the X51 to Bridport to make the connection in some instances.

“The timetable between Bridport and Axminster remains unchanged.”

 Further details can be found here: Wessex, Dorset & South Somerset | First Bus.

Many Portesham residents have told the News that they fear the closure will cause chaos on the roads and raised concerns about the effects on the village.

Residents on Front Street also raised concern about the likelihood of increased traffic through their road.

READ MORE: Village fears 'catastrophic' effects as major road closes for six week