Flood water spilled onto the A361 road late last night (Friday 5 January). The emergency road closure gates at Burrowbridge and East Lyng are closed today, (Saturday 6 January). These were installed after the 2014 floods to prevent accidents and drivers misjudging the depth of the waters.

Drivers should plan ahead and use alternative routes avoiding the area and baring in mind a number of the smaller roads around the A361 will also be flooded.

Currymoor is one of the largest flood storage reservoirs on the Somerset Levels and Moors. Yesterday it became full. When this happens, excess water runs through a spillway into the next storage reservoirs at Northmoor and Saltmoor. However this in turn creates a flood risk to the A361 and that’s what happened late on Friday night. 

Somerset Council’s Highways Team will continue to monitor the situation over the coming days. Councillor Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Transport and Digital told us: “It’s vital that road users respect the gates and do not tamper with them. Just 30cm can float a car. Over the last few days our teams and the emergency services have seen a number of abandoned vehicles in flood water. Drivers open themselves up to the risk of being swept away and having to be rescued or getting stranded after their car engine takes in water and stops.”