WORK on a major flood prevention scheme at Beer Wall reached a significant milestone with the installation of a 60-tonne bridge.

The temporary bridge on the A372 was installed on Tuesday (December 9) and will span a gap that has been cut into the road which will eventually be home to two new culverts.

These will allow any flood waters to pass beneath the road rather than over it.

As well as protecting the road – which was closed for several weeks last winter due to flooding and then to accommodate emergency pumping – they will pave the way for the Environment Agency to undertake further work to increase capacity of the River Sowy.

This means that although this is only phase one of works, any flood waters this winter would be able to pass under the road rather than flooding over it.

Somerset County Council hope phase 1 of the scheme will be complete by Christmas when the road can be re-opened.

Councillor John Osman, Chair of the Plan’s Leaders Implementation Group and Leader of Somerset County Council, said: “This is a major milestone for this scheme and it’s fantastic to see the bridge in place.

“I appreciate that this road closure has been a real headache for some and I thank them for their patience.

“What we have achieved here has been achieved in just a fraction of the time a scheme would usually take.

“That we have been able to move this so quickly is a testament to the joint-working between many agencies that has characterised the Flood Action Plan.”

The Beer Wall works are one of the schemes being undertaken as part of the multi-agency Flood Action Plan which aims to reduce the likelihood, impact and duration of any future flooding on the Levels and Moors.

Phase two of the scheme, planned for spring when weather improves, will see the culverts put in and a permanent road reinstated over them.