Work in Furnham Road, Chard, and surrounding routes, has been completed on schedule. Picture: Google

Major £1.7m anti-flooding roadworks in Chard finished on schedule

Paul JonesNovember 6, 20250 Comment0

TWO major sets of roadworks to prevent flooding in Chard have finished.

Wessex Water and Wales & West Utilities, working with Somerset Council, have completed work on the £1.7 million projects to help to alleviate sewer flooding and upgrade gas pipes.

The schemes, on Victoria Avenue, Furnham Road and Glynswood, started in January and were part of a collaborative project between the organisations.

Construction teams have been working in Victoria Avenue, Furnham Road (A358) and Glynswood within phased closures to through-traffic between January and September 2025.

Glynswood has now been reopened to through traffic and the road surface reinstated, with the final pieces of equipment being demobilised.

Councillor Richard Wilkins, the council’s lead member for transport and waste services, said: “These are two vital schemes for Chard – it’s fantastic news for residents who have suffered from flooding in the immediate area, and people across the town are now benefiting from a major upgrade of their gas mains, which will be fit for purpose for decades to come.

“We fully recognise that these works have caused significant disruption to daily life and local businesses, and we don’t underestimate the impact this has had. That’s why we’re incredibly grateful for the patience, resilience and support shown by the community throughout this challenging period.”

Wessex Water project manager, Mike Horton, said: “This was a complex but vital investment to tackle issues with sewer flooding during heavy rain in Chard and, thanks to the hard work of our teams, we’re delighted to have been able to successfully complete it to schedule.

“We have worked closely with many customers and businesses throughout this project and we would like to thank them for their support and patience while we completed our work alongside Wales & West’s project to help minimise longer-term inconvenience.”

And Wales & West Utilities programme controller, Roxanne Whittaker, added: “We’d like to thank for local community for bearing with us while we completed this essential work which will ensure the gas network is fit for a greener future.”