THE on/off closure of the A361 at Burrowbridge due to flooding is adding to traffic problems around Bridgwater, it has been claimed.

The road, which has been shut off for much of the past three months, was reopened on Thursday, but there remains the threat it will be closed again if heavy rain returns.

Malcolm Wollaston, 71, of Othery, spent three weeks taking a neighbour to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton for regular appointments, and says the closure of the A361 doubled the journey time from 25 minutes to 50 minutes.

He said: “I have to take the A372 into Bridgwater and then the A38 to Taunton.

“It's a long detour and there are roadworks in Bridgwater so it's a pain and it's making the traffic worse.

“There are a number of villages out here, such as Othery, Moorland and Huntworth, little communities where we've got the feeling we are being ignored.”

The Environment Agency says it is doing everything it can to pump the water off the moors as fast as possible, while a spokesman for Somerset County Council said: “We are discussing some options for preventing closures for long periods of time on the A361 but water management in that area poses many problems.”