There’s a circumstance that will develop over the next few months which will have huge consequences for traffic movements around north Wiltshire and Swindon, and there appears to be very little attention being paid to it.

 

The process has already been going on for months, but that it has generally only affected rural areas means that it has happened pretty much under the radar of the local media.

 

In the Spring, the railway bridge at Dauntsey Lock was closed in order that it could be raised to accommodate the new electrical cables necessary to electrify the line between Bristol and Paddington.

 

Personally I was hugely disappointed to hear that this work was going to go ahead at all. I’ve always had a fondness for railways and have always thought the addition of all those pylons and wires, effectively enclosing the permanent way and obscuring the view, as extremely ugly.

 

But the world seems to think its progress, and I will have to put up with that I suppose.

 

Anyway having enforced huge detours for anyone wanting to travel between Dauntsey and Lyneham for months, and just like a weather front approaching from the Atlantic, it’s now time for the engineering works to shift another step eastwards.

 

And just like that approaching storm, once it starts to inconvenience a growing number of people, its news coverage will increasing proportionally.

 

There have been rumours and counter-rumours, information and misinformation and, with apologies to Paul Simon, probably hints and allegations as well, but precious little fact or media interest.

 

But pretty soon the A3102 (that’s the road that runs from Swindon, through Bassett and Lyneham to Calne), will be closed while railway work closes Skew Bridges at Bassett for the electrification process.

 

And what’s more this closure will continue for anything up to six months!

 

The way I understand it, the bridge that crosses the line as the road leads motorists towards Broad Town will be shut at the same time, effectively cutting Bassett adrift to anyone hoping to approach it from the south, and it will stop anyone travelling directly from Swindon towards Chippenham, or vice versa, for half a year.

 

Or if it comes to that, travelling from one house south of the bridge to one house to the north of it.

 

Don’t take my word for it, but I sincerely suggest that if you think you might be affected, you should check out the authenticity of my story.

 

I first heard of this around a year ago, and I’ve been astounded by the lack of interest it has generated.

 

Originally it was to happen around about now, but I believe it’s been put back to next year. Those in charge have apparently been unable to agree a suitable diversion (not surprising really, because there isn’t one) and this appears to have delayed the start.

 

But happen it will, and I hate to think of the disruption it will cause to Bassett itself, never mind everyone who lives at one end of the A3102 and works at the other.

 

Or anyone who will find their villages being used as a diversion to huge numbers and… well, just plain huge, traffic.

 

If I take a look at the map I can see consequences for places like Broad Hinton, Wroughton, Wharf Road, Elcombe, Salthrop, Hay Lane, Christian Malford, Dauntsey, Grittenham, Brinkworth… the list seems endless.

 

Check it out people. Forewarned is forearmed.