Businesses in a Dorset village are 'as quiet as the pandemic' due to the coast road closure which traders say has 'killed' trade.
The B3157 coast road at Portesham has been closed for almost two weeks for a £250,000 water mains scheme on a 200-metre stretch of road at Goose Hill and will be for another month.
People in Portesham approached by the Echo say they have been largely unaffected as they can can get to Weymouth without issues, and take back roads to get to Abbotsbury.
However, further west past the closure, Abbotsbury has become 'quiet as during the pandemic', with one trader saying business has gone down 80%.
While motorists can access the village from the Bridport direction, the community has lost the benefit of passing trade from traffic to and from Weymouth.
Plus it's thought people are being put off from visiting the area generally because of signs at each end of the coast road (Chickerell and Bridport) warning of a closure.
Jonathan Cooke, proprietor of Abbotsbury guest house Abbey House said: "It has killed the last bit of trade and probably the half-term holidays (at the end of the month). Eighty per cent of our trade has gone.
"We have no trade, no compensation. It has completely cut us off. We still have wages and all the costs and you have to still be open.
"I totally understand that the work needs to be done but the timing has been wrong.
"November would have been a better time. I know there is an argument that the weather would have been too cold but we don't have that climate down here, no snow or ice."
Mike Robins, who owns the Meat@Robins Farm Shop in Abbotsbury said: "It has quietened down a lot here. We don't have any buses coming through except to Bridport and back.
"Business is down a bit at the moment. It is very slow. A lot of people are bypassing Abbotsbury completely. It has definitely made a huge difference to us.
"There are ways to get through, but people don't know them."
Many have been using the country roads to get past the closure, despite signs saying 'not suitable for diverted traffic'. There are two routes, including south through Rodden, and north through Portesham Hill and Bishop's Road.
Helen Millard, of Cameo Glass in Abbotsbury, said: "Normally you can't cross the road because there is so much traffic coming through. It reminds me of lockdown.
"It has had an impact on me. My sales have gone down. I am using the time to catch up on stuff.
"Things tend to stop here in November, so this has impacted the last sale opportunity."
Read more: Traders fear impact of six week B3157 closure at Portesham
Meanwhile, Portesham resident Paul Britt said: "(The work) has got to be done, and it is a bit of a nuisance getting to Abbotsbury, but other than that it doesn't really bother me."
Another resident, Gary Kirkaldie said: "It has got to be done, and it's not like there isn't another route out of here."
The Portesham closure is expected to last for another month, until Friday, November 8.
A Wessex Water spokesperson said: “This is an essential investment of more than £200,000 to replace a deteriorating water main within the B3157 on the western side of Portesham that is prone to bursts, causing disruption for customers in the area, but we’re acutely aware that this road closure will cause significant impact locally
“That’s why we’ve been working closely with the local authority, parish councils, businesses, customers and other stakeholders to identify these issues and, where possible, put measures in place to help address them.
“This has included writing directly to customers throughout the area, holding a community drop-in session, meeting businesses and attending parish meetings at which we were able to brief members and others about measures to help mitigate these impacts. We are also funding a shuttle bus service between Abbotsbury and Bridport for the duration of the project."
They added: “Road closures are always a last resort and depend on the location of existing infrastructure but we always work hard to complete the work and get routes reopened as quickly as possible.’’
The spokesperson added that the timing of this scheme was to ensure the height of the holiday season was avoided and, in the case of later in the year, avoid a situation where the road may be closed for longer due to the weather delaying aspects of the work.
A Dorset Council spokesperson said: “The ‘Unsuitable for diverted vehicles’ signs were at the request of the parish council and our local ward councillor, as they had concerns of high traffic volumes and traffic congestion.
“We’re aware that Wessex Water have contacted and visited affected businesses when planning their essential mains replacement works.”
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